


I'm Not Sure Who I Am (But I Know Who I've Been)

by Bramblepelt



Series: There's No Easy Way Out [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Bad Puns, Found Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, No outright shipping because that's not the point but if you squint your fav is probably there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-12-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:39:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 66,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27228232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bramblepelt/pseuds/Bramblepelt
Summary: While treasure hunting on the shores of Cape Caem, Talcott Hester finds a lost little boy in need of help. At a glance the child looks eerily similar to friend of the family Prompto Argentum. Unfortunately for Prompto, their commonalities run deeper than blonde hair and freckles.
Series: There's No Easy Way Out [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031247
Comments: 88
Kudos: 152





	1. Gladio Gets a Text Message

The entire clusterfuck of a situation, such as it was, had been kicked off with a simple three word text message from a teenage girl to her brother.

_ Iris: Talcott found something. _

Though that assertion is not entirely fair, as the call to action was not completed until a further clarification came through. As it stood, Gladio had simply made a mental note to reply once they were no longer wading through the grimy and pest filled swamps in search of rare frogs. A task far beneath the station of the four who agreed to undertake it. The ‘something’ Talcott supposedly found could have been anything from the location of another ancient magical weapon to a cool looking rock discovered by the lighthouse. Either end of the spectrum deserved their full attention, which was currently dedicated to a game of amphibian “hot or cold”.

_ Iris: Actually, Talcott found  _ **_someone_ **

Gladio grimaced at the notification on his lock screen. Now  _ that _ was a more worrisome spectrum to consider. He began slogging his way out of the swamp and to the safety of dry land before unlocking his phone to write a reply.

“Got it! That’s all five of them!” Noctis called out with a level of pride better reserved for achievements like earning the power of a volcano god. Noct held his prize high for the rest to see. “I  _ toad _ you guys this wouldn’t take too long!”

“I beg your  _ frog _ iveness, Noct, for doubting your ability.” Ignis called back from further upstream.

_ Gladio: Is this a get back to Caem now situation or something that can wait? _

“You  _ toad _ ally nailed that assignment!” Prompto yelled. 

_ Iris: It’s a ‘kind of hard to explain so you need to see for yourself’ situation. _

“We should get these back to the Professor, I’m sure she’ll find these specimens  _ ribbeting _ .”

_ Gladio: But no ones in any danger, right? _

“Yeah, let’s get back to the car before it gets  _ toad _ .”

_ Iris: Everyone’s fine. But you should stop by sooner than later.  _

Gladio composed an affirmative response and hit send before realizing the barrage of verbal torture had stopped. He looked up to see his three friends staring at him with varying levels of anticipation.

“Mm. Frog pun.” he grumbled while returning his phone to his pocket.

“Something wrong big guy?” Prompto asked as they joined Gladio on the shore.

“Iris says we should drop by Cape Caem. Apparently there’s someone we need to meet.” There was a subtle sense of urgency in Gladio’s voice. Iris was more than capable of taking care of herself, but over a decade of big brother instincts were hard to ignore. The tone was obviously not missed by Ignis who gave him a pointed look over his glasses.

“Well, we shan’t keep the young lady waiting then.” Ignis said.

“Alright, off you go now.” Noct said to the squirming creature in his hands. With a flash of bright sparkles the frog was gone, spirited away to his armiger with the rest of it’s jailed brethren. Prompto looked at the empty space the frog had just occupied and frowned.

“Is that ok to do? Like, is there air for them to breathe in your...pocket dimension thing?” he asked. Noctis stared blankly for a few moments before shrugging his shoulders.

“Right, we visit the Professor first with hopefully live specimens, then off to Caem.” Ignis said while formulating the perfect route on the map in his mind. “We may be able to make it before sunset.”

“Better hurry along,” Gladio replied. “We don’t want Sonja to be  _ hopping _ mad.”

\---

“Another Lucian citizen finally at peace thanks to the efforts of their humble prince.” Noctis stretched his arms out and laid back in the car seat. His face was beaming with well earned pride. Five living but terrified looking frogs had been handed over to the busy Professor, who was able to spare a moment to heap praise on her ‘grad students’.

“If you could only find that same level of fulfillment from keeping your attire in proper shape or eating a balanced diet, I’d be able to focus on more pressing concerns.” Ignis sighed, completing a three point turn with one hand and clutching a well deserved Ebony with the other.

“Awe, go easy on him Iggy. Noct’s just excited because he’s never had a teacher give him a good grade before.” Prompto turned from the front seat to grin at his friend who was grimacing with his eyes squeezed shut. 

“Hey, I got good grades...sometimes.” Noct said.

“Group assignments where I did most of the work do not count.” Prompto replied back. Noctis let out a disgruntled huff and settled into the seat further, getting into his usual napping position. 

The absence of any witty remarks or half hearted insults from the Shield was palpably felt. Anxiety was creeping into his thoughts. Gladio found himself constantly checking his phone every few minutes, whether a notification chimed or not. It took a few miles worth of thought to pinpoint the worry; it wasn’t Iris he was concerned for. Talcott was the one Iris said found this mystery person. The poor kid had been through enough garbage to last the rest of his ruined childhood. The thought of him stumbling on a gruesomely injured hunter, an opportunistic grifter, or something even worse, put a lump of anger in his throat. He hoped it was some kind old grandma who knit sweaters and baked cookies. That was the only situation he could think of where Talcott running into a stranger and bringing them home didn’t result in trouble.

The sun was on it’s way below the horizon by the time they pulled up to the dirt parking area. Gladio shook the prince awake, a bit more violently than usual. He didn’t have the patience for his majesty’s lazy whining right now.

The long walk up the hill to the cabin felt more of a chore than usual. Sounds of the two younger boys whining about their ruined hair were drowned out by thoughts of what could possibly wait behind the door coming into view. Iris was uncharacteristically not waiting for them on the front porch. Gladio picked up the pace to get at the head of the marching order. He attempted to step quietly up the front stairs, not so easily done with a man of his girth on old creaking wood. He placed his hand on the door knob and pressed the side of his face against the door. There were no sounds save the never ending banter of his traveling companions.

“Everything alright?” Ignis asked in a hush voice.

“Oh yeah, Noct, that reminds me. Why do you always open the door like that?” Prompto asked, not so quietly.

“Like what?” Noct replied.

“You know…” Prompto mimed opening a door, “You always press on the wrong-”

Gladio grunted in frustration and decided to get on with the mission.

“See! You see?! That’s how you’re supposed to open a door, but you don’t do that!”

Gladio held back the urge to slam the door shut behind him as he half jogged into the cabin’s main room. The hair on the back of his neck began to stand on edge when he surveyed the area and found no sign of Iris or Talcott. His pulse was quickening, getting ready for a fight. He began to silently curse Iris for her vague messages, and himself for putting the welfare of a few frogs over hers. 

“Iris?!” he yelled, making his way to the staircase. Before he could decide which way to go, a quick pattering of footsteps from above gave way to the door of the recreation room opening. Iris stepped out, looking rather upset, and gently closed the door behind her.

“Iris, what the hell?” he asked his sister. “Is Talcott ok? What’s going on?” Despite himself, Gladio never quite shook the ‘I’m angry because I’m scared and I love you’ big brother voice and he was using it to full capacity now.

“Would you quiet down? Loud noises freak him out!” Iris stage whispered while walking towards the stairs.

“If you had cause for such worry, why didn’t you tell us?” Ignis crossed his arms and gave Gladio his disapproving Mom face. 

“Wait, is something wrong? What happened?” Noctis asked in his ‘I just woke up’ teenager voice while Prompto stared wide-eyed like a terrified dog.

The whole family was here.

“We’re fine, I told you we were fine Gladdy! But I need all of you to get a lot less intense before I can explain.” Iris punctuated her command by stiffly placing her fists on her hips. 

“Of course, our apologies Iris.” Ignis offered, knowing no one else would. “Gladio said you had someone for us to meet?” She nodded before turning around and gesturing for them to follow her upstairs.

“Talcott was walking around the shore by himself. If I’d known what he was up to I’d have gone with him.” Iris began.

“Awe, poor guy probably just needed some personal time. Staring out at the neverending sea, contemplating the fragility of life.” Prompto said wistfully.

“Yeah, more like he was investigating a rumor of buried pirate treasure that was said to hold the missing crown of a Lucian queen over a century old.” Iris responded.

Noctis grinned. “Yeah, that sounds more like Talcott.” 

Iris paused before reaching the door she left from and looked at them. “Anyway, he came running back to the garden where Monica and I were working, completely panicked out of his mind, and...well...long story short, he found another kid.” She grabbed the door knob and breathed a deep sigh. “Next to his dead mother.”

Gladio felt his heart sink. It was exactly what he hoped wouldn’t have happened. He didn’t turn to see the other’s reactions but the quiet sounds they each made told him exactly how they felt. “The kid in there?” he asked, gesturing towards the door.

Iris nodded. “Both of them. Just, keep your voices down and be nice. Poor kid’s a scared wreck.” She slowly turned the knob and stopped, thinking for a moment. “And...Don’t freak out but...well, you’ll see.” She finished opening the door and peeked her head in. “Hey, it’s me! I’m back, just like I said.” Iris was very good at forcing cheeriness when she needed to. “I brought a few friends to say hello, ok?” She stepped in and waved the others in behind.

Gladio made to follow but felt a hand hold him back by the shoulder. He turned to find Ignis casually pushing his glasses up his nose. 

“A thought, if I may?” he asked, not waiting for an answer. “If there is indeed a traumatized young child in there perhaps four strange men crowding him all at once would not be the best means of salutation.” Gladio nodded and looked at the other two young men at the back of the lineup.

“Well Iggy, you  _ are _ the mom friend.” Noctis said while crossing his arms. “You should probably handle the introductions.”

Ignis gave a slight nod before Noct could finish, signifying he already knew he’d be first, and moved to walk through the door. He paused, however, before walking past the threshold. He grimaced, ever so slightly, looking between the room’s interior and where Noctis and Prompto stood. 

“Dude, Iggy, you’re kind of freaking me out.” Prompto whispered. “It’s just a kid right?”

Ignis opened his mouth to respond but before he could find the words Gladio gently pushed him out of the door frame. 

“Enough with all the suspense.” He strode into the room in search of the creature responsible for the day’s drama. 

Sure enough, sitting on the floor at Talcott’s side was a trembling little kid. He was visibly smaller, and most likely younger than their precocious historian. The kid looked exhausted and underfed, practically swimming in a too-large red wool sweater. The brightly colored garment stood out against his pale white skin and made the light splash of freckles around his nose more pronounced. He was looking back at him with wide blue eyes partially covered by unkempt dirt hair. The longer Gladio stared, the more the kid seemed to shrink in on himself.

“Huh.” was all the Shield managed to get out. He looked over at Iris standing on the boy’s other side.

“I told you not to freak out.” She said matter of factly. “Looks exactly like him, right? I was kind of hoping someone might recognize him. Does Prompto have any cousins?” She kneeled down to the boy’s level. “This is my brother. He won’t hurt you, ok? He looks scary but he’s harmless.”

The kid made no indication he’d heard anything she said. Nothing on his face but wide eyed terror. Gladio recalled once seeing a similar expression on the face of a voretooth that stood in the middle of the road staring at the Regalia’s headlights. And just like that voretooth, the kid seemed to make a quick decision to stand tall and face his fate. 

That hadn’t worked out well for the voretooth.

The boy stood up at attention, looking like a little Chocobo Scout ready to receive his merit badge for doing something adorable like popsicle stick crafts. The small boy stood up against the wall, head back, arms straight at his side, shoulders square, and sweater cuffs trailing over his hands down to his knees. His eyes were no longer locked with Gladio’s, but staring sharply at something behind him. The kid’s bottom lip began to tremble before he visibly gulped and tried to speak.

“I’m...Sir. Sorry Sir. I didn’t...I....mean to...” The words came out between choking gasps for air. He was struggling for composure and squeezed his eyes shut while furrowing his eyebrows. He quickly returned to attention and locked his gaze once again to a point by the door. “I willingly disobeyed orders and will accept the consequences.” The kid said in a rehearsed manner that indicated this was a common statement for him. Gladio followed the kid’s line of sight in an attempt to find what had triggered such a frantic response from such a small child. 

The visual path led directly to an incredibly distressed looking Prompto Argentum.

“Hey, it’s ok. It’s just Prompto!” Talcott came to the younger boy’s side and gently placed his arm around his shoulders.

“Yeah, heh,  _ just Prompto _ is pretty accurate. Nothing to be scared of here!” Prompto blurted awkwardly. “You don’t have to get all formal and all that.” he rubbed his hand behind his neck, looking visibly uncomfortable, his left leg beginning the tell tale nervous bounce.

The kid once again made no indication of hearing anything anyone said. He stood there waiting for a punishment that wasn’t going to happen if Gladio had anything to say about it.

Iris looked at her brother with a mournful expression. “So much for the long lost relative angle. He might be a refugee, maybe from a military camp or Imperial base? Someone’s been terrible to this kid.” 

“That’s the understatement of the year.” Gladio huffed. He kneeled down to get to the kid’s level, waving his hand in front of his face to get his attention. The kid’s eyes snapped back to him. “Hey, I don’t know what orders you had, but I’m the top ranking guy around here-” Noct’s indignant grunt behind him did nothing to derail his statement. “And right now your only orders are to take some deep breaths and tell me your name.”

The kid looked between Gladio, Prompto, and Talcott, fear slowly replaced with confusion. Gladio’s well intentioned order seemed to have backfired. The tears that had been threatening to spill finally began falling down his pink cheeks. He shook his head and squeezed his eyes closed. Iris moved to action, carefully scooping the small bundle into her arms and holding him. 

“I asked him the same thing earlier, and got the same answer.” She whispered. The sobbing kid buried his face into her neck and gripped his arms around her tight. Talcott stood by Iris’ side and took one of the smaller boy’s hands in his.

“He just needs a warm meal and a long nap.” Talcott offered. He moved to look the boy in his scrunched and drenched face. “I’ve lost someone too, and it doesn’t make it go away, but it helps a little bit.” 

“Agreed.” Ignis finally spoke up from his place by the doorway. “I’ll take stock of what’s available in the kitchen.” 

“He can have some of my Moogle O’s if he wants!” Talcott called to Ignis as he began to walk away.

The Shield took a few steps back and turned to the other two men. “Think we could all use a home cooked meal and a soft bed.”

“And a shower.” Noctis added. “I smell like a Crow’s Nest dumpster.” Noct moved to leave the room but stopped when he realized his best friend wasn’t following behind. “Hey, you alright?”

Prompto, much like his miniature doppelganger, had failed to respond to any verbal stimuli for the past few minutes. His arms were crossed, leg bouncing, eyes fixed on the little red bundle in Iris’ arms. He seemed far away from Cape Caem and even further from the right now. His dead silence was unsettling. Gladio could see some nameless emotion forming on the blonde’s face.

Prompto Argentum was most definitely not alright.


	2. Prompto Gets a Flashback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis learns a truth. Gladio digs deep. Noctis declares treason.

“Are you sure you don’t have a cousin or something?” The Prince’s whispered question punctuated by an elbow to the side broke Prompto from his third space out session in the past hour. The pair of them were sitting at the wooden dining room table, alongside Iris and Talcott, the little boy sitting between them. Ignis was busying himself in the kitchen, fussing over the sodium content of canned food in the pantry. Gladio had excused himself outside under the guise of needing to chop some wood. There was plenty of firewood stacked in the outside bin already, but nobody needed to question his motivations for needing to swing a large blade around.

“Dude,” Prompto said, “I’m adopted.” Prompto frowned at his friend, who knew this, and shouldn’t have to be reminded of it. “I have one cousin.” He held up his index finger to illustrate how many that was, in case Noct had forgotten that too. “She lived in Lestallum before getting into college in Accordo. We have zero blood relation and I haven’t seen her since I was six.”

“Okay but like,” Noctis made a vague gesturing motion towards the smaller blonde sitting at the other end of the table, “I mean seriously.”

“Blonde hair isn’t that unusual outside Insomnia, Noct.” Prompto began fidgeting with the band he wore tight around his wrist. He could feel an uncharacteristic frustration simmering inside him. He hated that feeling, it was a constant presence when he was much younger. It only ever brought him trouble. So he tried to push it down whenever he could sense the pesky emotion trying to climb its way from the back of his mind, down to his throat, to finally burst from his mouth with something he knew he’d have to pay for later. He hated feeling like this towards people, especially his best friend. But here it was anyway, and this time it wasn’t letting itself be discarded and forgotten like junk mail.

Noct met Prompto’s curt tone with a look of indignation. “It’s...a lot more than the hair, Prom.”

Of course it was a lot more than that. Years of self doubt, loneliness, and insecurity were sitting in one scared little package a few feet away, staring into a very familiar nothingness. This sudden visitor who quietly came crashing into their lives was dredging up long held anxiety of Prompto’s own origins. Those little blue eyes held some sort of answer about the piece of paper once found stashed in a closet reading ‘Biological Parents: Redacted by Order of the Crown’. That smudge of red against ghostly pale skin promised an explanation for a permanent mark branding him as something else.

That face was one he had seen so many times, reflected in a photograph hung in high esteem on the living room wall. A happy family: mother, father and son. All three smiling in earnest in front of a sign welcoming tourists to the Insomnia Metro Zoo. A singular souvenir of a moment when everything felt normal and real and okay. A perfect memory that fueled long nights wondering what went wrong, what he had done to lose that comfort and affection from the two most important people in his life, and what he could possibly do to win it back.

Prompto remembered more than that day at the zoo, the day he recalled the trip had been a company sponsored outing for employees and their families. That day all the power his parent’s approval had over his life had shattered. It was never there, it was always for show, and it was never coming back. 

It was painful. 

It was freedom. 

There was no point lingering on those unknowns of his past, or the futile hope for the one thing every child was owed. He only needed to focus his attention to everything in front of him. And it had worked out so well for so long. An entire childhood of abandonment, resentment, resignation, and so many tears had been so easily shoved deep into a mental attic with a ‘do not enter’ sign nailed to the door. Anger and self hatred replaced with optimism and purpose. Prompto had learned how to be genuinely happy and the universe rewarded him in turn.

Until some tragic kid moved in, looked at the warning sign, and pulled the string to the attic door wide open.

That nasty little feeling was whispering things in his ear he’d never say and resented even having to think.

As if able to hear those words himself, Ignis thankfully cut into their conversation with a steaming bowl and a few quiet words of admonishment for his highness. 

“Dinner, such as it is, is served. I’ll have to find a supply of more nutritious non perishables if you plan to remain here long term.” Ignis said, while handing a bowl to Iris. 

“Thanks Ignis, we appreciate it.” Iris took her hand from its place at the little boy’s back as Ignis carefully laid a bowl down in front of him. The tears had stopped, leaving evidence of their appearance in his blood shot eyes still puffy from rubbing. While the adult’s bowls were filled with a chunky soup filled with meat and vegetables, the bowls in front of the two kids contained a bright red sauce with small shaped pasta floating on top.

“They’re Moogle O’s.” Talcott gently explained to his new friend. “They’re really good. When I was your age, it was the only thing I wanted to eat!” he beamed a reassuring smile. 

“They’re still the only thing you want to eat.” Iris said between giggles.

“Like I said, they’re really good. And these ones have the cactuar shapes, they taste the best.” Talcott lifted his spoon up while keeping eye contact with the smaller boy, giving an encouraging nod for him to do the same. 

But the kid didn’t lift his spoon. He stared straight at Prompto, wide eyes watching him lift his own spoon to his mouth. Prompto had finished the mouthful before darting his own eyes back up to notice. The two kept a silent eye contact for a few moments before realization came to him.

The kid was waiting for permission. From him.

“Go on, eat it.” Prompto felt incredibly uncomfortable being in the position he found himself in. He loved kids. Kids like Talcott who were way too articulate for their age had the best conversations. Kids in the park who would see his camera and asked a hundred questions were adorable. Even the brat who used to live in the apartment upstairs (and apparently trained for gymnastics at 3 am) had his moments. Prompto always felt comfortable around children. All they wanted was to feel smart and important, and had the most genuine displays of joy that adults tended to lack.

This was not one of those kids. This one was carrying a burden that someone even twice his age shouldn’t have to be holding on to. A dead parent, obvious signs of mistreatment, and who knows what else was weighing down any spirit that may have once occupied those eyes. This boy needed help that Prompto was nowhere near well equipped to give, and that made him feel worse than useless when the kid was obviously looking to him for it.

The kid looked down at his table setting and slowly moved to grab the spoon set out for him. He hesitated before grabbing the handle in his fist. He seemed deep in thought about the appropriateness of his grip style before slightly nodding his head and readying the utensil over the bowl. The whole process was slow moving, and had the boy not been carefully focused on his current mission he would have looked up to see the rest of the table watching him intently. The sweater sleeve was still dangling from his knuckles and threatening to take a dip in the tomato sauce.

Once the kid managed to get a single spoonful in his mouth and swallow without choking, there was a collective exhale of relief.

He moved in a stiff, almost robotic manner. It was as if each movement had to run through a sub process check before continuing. Prompto had never seen a kid so careful with his food. Slow, deliberate, each scoop repeating itself in the same intentional manner like he was rehearsing for an uncomfortable commercial. 

“Oh, and by the way Talcott,” Noct said, breaking the weird silence that had settled over the usually chatty group, “I have to respectfully disagree about the cactuars having the best tasting shape.” Noct added a piece of stewed carrot to his small collection of peas and corn accruing on a paper napkin. “The moogle shape is the original, and the only one engineered to hold the perfect amount of sauce per noodle shape ratio.” Talcott looked genuinely offended by the Prince’s assertion.

“When have you eaten that before?” Ignis frowned from his place leaning against the kitchen counter. “The citadel kitchens certainly never stocked these.” Ignis picked up one of the unused cans to study the label. It had barely changed since Prompto was a kid. Still a cartoon moogle mascot touting the number of vitamins contained within. Each can had not one, but two whole servings of vegetables. And it still had the same taste kids love. 

The moogle looked a little more simplified and less ‘radical’ now. Otherwise, exactly the same as the canned staple that had been kept in bulk on the lowest shelf of his parent’s kitchen cabinet. Easily accessible, a pull top that little hands could easily manage, and simple instructions to pour in a bowl and push the number three button on the microwave. The day he was old enough to brave using the stovetop instead was a life changer. A warm bowl of Moogle O’s and a cold can of cherry soda were his constant after school companions for too many years. 

“You remember those two weeks you were out of town for some big diplomatic thing? The wildlife protection one in Accordo?” Noct asked his advisor.

“Ah yes, the one you were far too sick to attend yourself and thus sent me away in your stead?” Ignis’ words were very carefully dipped in a thin layer of irritation.

“How many cans of the stuff do you think we went through, Prom?” Noct asked while gently skimming another pea for the colorful napkin pile.

“Well, a bulk box from the In and Out Mart had twelve cans so...probably close to thirty?” Prompto pretended like he couldn’t quite remember. In fact, those two weeks were burned into his memory like a brand on a garula’s ass. Noctis had, in fact, been sick. For the first two days. After that it was twelve days of video games, junk food, bad movies, and an attempt at getting a buzz off of the cooking wine Ignis had stored in the apartment cupboards. 

They’d been friends, officially for real, for less than a year by then, but it felt like a decade with how easy it was to know Noct. That summer vacation was the first one Prompto had spent having honest to gods fun. And those two weeks that fell right in the middle were the highlight. Not that Prompto didn’t like having Iggy around, even back then, but it was so much easier for Noct to blow off his various regal duties without his advisor practically dragging him out the door.

Prompto had introduced Noct to canned pasta, sure, but more importantly he helped his best friend discover the entire magical world of convenience store food. Shelf stable pastries, frozen personal pizzas, boxed sugar cereal with vibrantly dyed marshmallows, spicy sticks of unidentifiable cured meat, and a dozen different means of eating cheese dust. Prompto hadn’t eaten so poorly in years and yet right then and there he didn’t care. 

Prompto had Noctis to himself for two perfect, short weeks. And he refused to ever let any detail of that time go forgotten. 

For the record, it was seventeen cans of Moogle O’s.

“You realize this is the reason I put powdered fiber in your morning juice?” Ignis asked, returning to his own soup.

Noctis looked up at him sharply. “You do what?!”

The door opened, a sweaty Gladio had returned with a dirt covered Monica trailing behind.

“Welcome back, Monica!” Talcott chirped. The other boy had reached the bottom of his bowl and had gently placed the spoon back where he found it. He had also visibly shrunk back against the chair once the large man had come into view.

“Monica, there’s still plenty of Chunky Pot Roast Delight left if you’re hungry.” Ignis offered to the exhausted woman.

“Appreciate it, Ignis, but I had a large lunch. If everything’s okay here, I think I’ll head to bed.” She looked at Iris for confirmation, who gave a gentle nod in return. “Found a good spot. Your brother was a big help. We can figure out a marker tomorrow, maybe.” Monica gave a quick glance to the nameless little boy who had his eyes set on the empty bowl. “Any progress?”

Iris shook her head. “But he ate, at least.”

“Small victories are all we can hope for these days.” Monica said, giving a small smile before heading up the stairs.

“Gladio, would you li-” Ignis began, but Gladio waved him off.

“Nah. Cup noodle in my bag. Gonna skip out on whatever that is, I’ll wait for the improved version you're planning for the next campout.” Ignis nodded at Gladio and stepped back into the kitchen to heat up some water.

“Alright, enough for seconds.” Noctis said, stretching in his chair.

“You wouldn’t be needing seconds if you didn’t pick out half the ingredients.” Ignis called back.

“If I wanted that serving of vegetables I would have asked for the Moo-” but Noctis was unable to finish his sentence, as in one fluid motion the Prince’s shield had walked up behind him, scooped up the vegetable graveyard napkin, and placed it over his royal highness’ mouth. The scene felt like it was out of a horror movie; the killer placing a chloroform soaked rag over the mouth of the victim who was clawing and fighting in desperation to get free.

“Once our princess here is finished with dessert, we have something - just eat the damned vegetables Noct - important to discuss.” Gladio said, unphased by the dancing lights around Noctis’ hand threatening to summon something large and pointy.

Prompto felt a twinge of that Crownsguard loyalty that was (unnecessarily) drilled into his head, telling him to jump to his feet and protect his prince. In this scenario, it was an easily ignorable twinge. 

“Nice Gladdy, you’re setting a great example for the kids.” Iris said with irritation, taking empty bowls to the kitchen sink.

Gladio nodded towards the two young boys. “Always eat your vegetables.”

Noctis groaned and made a dramatic show of gulping down the mixed vegetable medley mush.

As if waiting for exactly that, Ignis called out, “Gladio, the water is ready.” 

“Nice.” He said, removing his hand and giving Noctis a hard pat on the back.

“Thanks, crownsguards.” Noctis said, glaring at his friends.

“Prompto and I are sworn to protect you from the likes of demons and enemy combatants, not proper nutrition.” Ignis replied.

“I’m officially declaring carrots an enemy of the state.” Noct mumbled. Prompto remembered another time Noct had said almost the same exact thing. When presented with a bowl full of broccoli, he claimed he was going to tell his Dad to ban broccoli from the city for treason. Prompto, excited and grateful to have a warm home cooked meal, had dared Noct to eat just one piece of broccoli, and in exchange he would do the prince’s algebra homework for a month.

That day he swore he saw the seventeen year old prince have a silent mental breakdown while deciding if he hated broccoli or math more. In the end, Noctis had chosen to do his own homework.

Prompto smiled at his friend’s tantrum. This was better. This was good. He had so many nice memories to focus on, there was no reason at all to dwell on stuff that sucked. So what if this kid looked like a damn clone of himself? There were millions of human beings living out in Eos, there were bound to be a few that had an uncanny resemblance to his own features. It didn’t mean anything different about himself or his place at his friend’s side. This was a scared, lost child who happened to find people with the exact means to protect and help him. That was it.

Surely, that was it.

Ignis was rounding the table, placing mugs of tea in front of those still seated. Prompto recognized the tag on the tea bag steeping in his mug. A blend of calming herbs and lemon rind. Iggy somehow always knew exactly what someone needed long before they knew they needed it.

“And for the growing boys...” Ignis said gently, offering cups of warm milk to Talcott and their mystery guest. Talcott took his eagerly, while the other boy once again looked to Prompto for permission or instructions, it was hard to tell. Prompto nodded at him again.

“Dude, if you want it take it.” The boy acknowledged the command and reached out to take the second cup from Ignis. As he did, the sweater cuffs bunched down to his elbows. There, on his right arm, at the wrist, was a tightly wound dirty and tattered bandage. Prompto felt a rock sink in his stomach. 

The attic door was wide open now, and a decade of clutter was tumbling down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left kudos/comments. It's been a real long time since I've been capable of any sort of writing project, and I'm grateful to have this venue to do so.


	3. Ignis Gets a Suspicion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis has an opinion. Gladio gets hot. Prompto takes initiative.

“Are you hurt?” Ignis asked the small child while lifting back the sleeve on his right arm. The bandage covering his wrist looked like it had been on him for days, yet there were no signs of bleeding or infection seeping through. Just dirt and frayed edges. The boy jerked his arm back from Ignis, a little of the warm milk spilling from the cup he was grasping in that hand. He gently set the cup down on the table and wrapped his left hand around his right wrist.

He shook his head and said, “It’s fine. I have to keep it covered.”

“I tried to take it off earlier when I was getting him cleaned up.” Iris said. “He’s pretty intent on leaving it, for now.” Iris took the mug of tea Ignis had set out for her: hibiscus with two teaspoons of sugar. She sipped it and smiled. “How is it you can always make my favorite tea better than I can?”

Ignis’ lips quirked slightly, his telltale giveaway of poorly subdued pride. “Repetition and consistency is the key to perfecting anything.”

Gladio nodded his head back towards one of the cabin bedrooms. “If you guys are finished, we have a few things to discuss.”

Iris nodded at her brother. “I’m going to get these two into bed. It’s been a long day for both of them.” 

Ignis made to follow Gladio who had pulled their pouting prince from his chair by the jacket. 

“Hey, I’m coming, no need for the brutality.” Noctis said, clearly tired of everyone and everything. Ignis turned to find Prompto still sitting at the table, eyes seemingly glued to his own hands. “Dude, come on.” Noctis gently tapped his hand on the blonde’s shoulder a few times. He startled like he had just been woken up, and quickly jumped to his feet.

“Right behind you!” he yelped out.

Prompto had never been one to hide his thoughts or feelings behind any sort of facade. And astrals bless him for it, Ignis often thought. He hadn’t the years of experience or education on maintaining a stance of careful neutrality. No need to learn how to hide your truth for fear of it someday being used against you in a political maneuver that could upend the entire country’s government. Certainly no daily drills on royal etiquette and decorum. 

There were no surprises when it came to their lower class companion. It was almost refreshing, if not sometimes annoying, being around someone who could so freely wear their heart on their sleeve. 

Which was why his current demeanor had become unsettling to Ignis. Certainly there was good reason for Prompto to be behaving the way he was. He tried to imagine his own reaction had the boy born a striking resemblance to himself on the same level. Unnerving, of course. Perhaps suspicious. But there were other things much more concerning about their young guest. The boy’s need for direction and structure was unsurprising. The telltale signs of abuse and trauma, perhaps even some amount of military training, not so much.

“Alright, so what’s the big deal Gladio?” Noct asked, slumping into a chair once everyone was inside and the door firmly closed.

“Monica and I buried the dead woman the kid was found near. We searched her first, of course. Not much to speak of on her person. Not a single gil, no phone, nothing that tells us anything about the kid. But we did find this.” Gladio reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, rectangular card and passed it to Ignis. “Identification. Face matched the photo well enough, safe to assume it’s her.”

Ignis studied the ID card. It looked new, no signs of consistent use even without a protective sleeve. It identified her as Doctor Camilla Profugan. The woman herself looked young enough that the title must have been fresh on her name. Her face certainly had the stereotypical ‘exhausted resident being wrung through twelve hour shifts’ look. Her features, beyond pale skin, had no resemblance to the boy they found by her side. Below her name was her title “Bio Engineer II”, and below that, ‘Security Clearance Level VI”. On the back of the card was an indication of what that clearance gave her access to: “Magitek Production Employee Identification.” and in smaller typeface below, ‘You must wear this badge at all times while on any Magitek Facility property. Failure to do so may result in penalties upto and including imprisonment. Refer to your employee handbook for further information.’

Ignis passed the card to Noctis before crossing his arms. “Nifflheim military, then?” he began with the obvious. “A long way from home. Perhaps they were involved in one of the bases being set up around the Lucian landscape?”

Gladio huffed. “Unlikely, I mean, I know I haven’t seen any kids wandering around any of the bases we’ve busted up.”

Ignis shot a quick, subtle glance at Prompto again. Gladiolus’ use of his own fanciful terminology should surely have elicited some amount of positive reaction from him. The boy was simply staring intently at the badge Noctis had just passed to him, seemingly deaf to the world around him. 

Not good.

In the five years he’d known him, Ignis had only ever seen him so somber and quiet in the presence of other people’s suffering. Even then, within hours he always had some sort of optimism or words of kindness to lift the others up. For astrals’ sake, the week after their home had been devastated with no luck reaching his own parents, Prompto had staged a rather ridiculous photo op in front of a giant Kenny statue in an attempt to keep the mood from falling into complete morose hopelessness.

“So they were refugees, who cares where the kid’s from?” Noctis said in that lazy way that implied overthinking was beneath his station. “What are we going to do to make sure whatever monsters hurt him don’t get him back?”

And there it was, the piece of the prince that shone through everything else that gave his advisor a daily headache. Noctis may have had a history of being lazy and irresponsible, with a disdain for both duty and decorum, but he had the most important thing a royal heir needed. Noctis had compassion and despite all appearances the boy was brimming with it. Outside of the confines of noble life and out on the dusty road, he’d had the opportunity to really let that part of him shine through. 

Ignis had intentionally taken a step back from trying to lead the way for him and had not yet come to regret it (much). Every time their prince agreed to run into danger and collect missing dog tags to bring a family some peace, when he spared a wounded stranger their last potion, or when he volunteered to go completely out of their way to perform a welfare check on a wild chocobo, Noctis showed everyone the kind of leader he could be. And Ignis could not have been more proud to see that potential bloom and grow. Noctis would be the greatest king Lucis had ever seen, if Ignis had anything to say about that. Which, he did. Everything Ignis had worked and sacrificed for was finally coming together. 

He only wished it had not come with such a heavy price.

The advisor’s pride in his charge was tempered with the knowledge that this sudden growth in leadership had been kickstarted by the death of King Regis. The inevitable burden breathing down Noctis’ neck had quite literally overnight taken him. There was no time to grieve, and no way to look back. 

Nothing left to look back to.

Now if only Noctis could learn to care for himself the way he cared so deeply for everyone around him. He might actually leave the lettuce on his cheeseburger for once. Wouldn’t that be a miracle from the Gods? 

“The logical thing would be to simply ask the boy how we can help, but…” Ignis trailed off.

“Think we already proved that’s not an option.” Noctis interjected.

“At least not yet. Give him some time being in a safe place with another kid, let him get a little mothered by Iris, he’ll open up.” Gladio smiled, his optimism showing.

“What if someone’s looking for him though? And tracks him here? Is it really okay to leave that risk with Iris? Not that she can’t handle herself, but we have no idea what we’re looking at here.” said Noctis.

Gladio crossed his arms and frowned. “Alright, what’s your plan then?” The man obviously did not appreciate the implication that he would ever put his baby sister in undue danger.

“Um, bribe him with ice cream?” Noctis scratched at the back of his head.

Have Prompto ask him, Ignis wanted to say. It made sense. All night the boy was treating Prompto like an authority figure. Ignis assumed Prompto must resemble the boy’s father, or perhaps an older brother. It was the simplest and most logical plan to follow, but looking at Prompto now with his eyes glued to the floor, anxiously picking at the worn leather band around his wrist, it didn’t feel right to put that on him.

“Perhaps we can simply speak to the boy in the morning, after he’s had some rest?” Ignis offered. “He may be more amenable then to reveal his troubles to us. At the very least, everyone here certainly needs a good night’s sleep as well.”

“I’ll talk to him.” Prompto said, in almost a whisper. “Like yeah, we should all sleep first but I’ll try to coax it out of him. He’ll probably tell me if I ask.” Ignis felt relief that Prompto was in a good enough place to not only recognize the necessity of the plan but to also suggest it himself. Still, his eyes were staying on the floor, and his demeanor even more anxious than a moment ago.

“Sounds like a plan.” Noctis made his way towards one of the beds, stopping to give a gentle tap to Prompto’s shoulder. “Come on dude, you look exhausted.”

“Would you consider perhaps a shower first?” Ignis asked, watching as the two younger men collapsed into bed, barely bothering to take off their boots and jackets. Noctis answered him with a simple wave of his hand before rolling over to fall asleep almost instantly. It was Noctis’ gift and Ignis’ curse. Proper self care will continue to elude his prince, for the time being.

Gladio laughed quietly, patting Ignis on the back. “I’ll hose 'em down in the morning,” he said. Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose at the distressing thought. “Besides, more hot water for me.”

\---

The night was somehow quiet and uneventful. The only disturbance was the normal rhythmic snoring from Gladiolus that had become like white noise to him by now. Still, Ignis could not find sleep. There were too many pieces that were refusing to fit into this puzzle. And when he tried, the picture that resulted was one that disturbed him.

The issue of Prompto’s background was something that he had thoroughly researched five years ago, as was standard for any civilian who got a little too close with royalty. Thankfully for both Prompto and Noctis, the boy had a clean record. No trouble, not even a single school detention. Decent enough grades. Glowing reviews from past teachers. ‘Quiet, but studious, and always tried his best to improve’ was how they summarized him. 

Ignis could not help but feel amused in retrospect at the idea of Prompto being quiet. But there was one little thing in the background check, something the investigator told him not to worry too much about, which raised even further red flags. Prompto was adopted, which was not the issue. How he came to be at the orphanage was. 

Every orphaned child in an Insomnian institution had a paper trail detailing how they came to be there. Even war refugees wandering over the border or the odd newborn left at a safe haven had documentation of how they ended up where they did. Prompto had none. One day he was not a resident of the Insomnian Children’s Home, the following day he was. Even more unsettling was how quickly his turnaround had been. A normal adoption process in Insomnia was a lengthy process, especially for first time parents. There were background checks, required education, financial screenings and in home inspections. One could expect to wait four to six months before finally being able to take their new child home.

Prompto had been adopted in less than two, by a young couple in their 20s who had no previous experience with children. Add on to everything that these supposedly over eager parents were all but completely absent in the boy’s life. It was noted by his teachers how they never showed for ‘Parent Teacher Night’. It was also obvious to Ignis, who had happily driven him home a handful of times. There was never someone waiting at the door for him. The lights had always been off. And what sort of parents learn their son is friends with the crown prince and don’t make any attempts to introduce themselves, if only for the networking opportunity? What sort of parents don’t show up when their son is initiated into the gods’ damned crownsguard?

Prompto had once let the truth of the matter slip over a hot dish of green curry. Prompto had called it the best meal he’d ever had, and Ignis suggested that surely his own mother’s cooking should hold that place of honor. The look on his face was quick, subtle, it was a small thing that told the entire story. A flash of loneliness and hurt, replaced instantly with that signature cheeriness. It was a slight opening that Ignis was intent on sticking his foot in before the door slammed shut again.

“Do your parents not cook for you?” he asked gently.

“Work keeps them away a lot. It’s no biggie, I’m totally used to it! Besides, mom hates cooking and dad burns everything he touches. Seriously Iggy, this is amazing.” 

Noctis had then made some flippant remark about the praise going to his head, which successfully deflated the situation and moved the conversation away. Which was fine. Ignis had all he needed to know then. Prompto was alone, save for Noctis. And Noctis himself had certainly acted like he was alone before this ball of sunshine in the form of a teenager came bouncing into his life.

It hurt, at first. Just a little. Knowing his company was not and never would be enough. Of course it wasn’t. No matter how genuine Ignis’ feelings were for his charge, the fact remained that the bond existed because of a duty. That would always leave a small stain on any friendship they could awkwardly cobble together between their respective responsibilities. But at the heart of it, Ignis only wanted Noctis to be happy. For years that meant pushing him into being prepared for the inevitable. If Noctis could ascend to the throne, fully capable with a strong head on his shoulders, then surely he could live out his destined role with satisfaction. 

And then one day, Prompto was there. Unfettered by duty and genuine in everything he said and did. And Noctis had come to life. And Ignis had decided that perhaps some of the future King’s burden could be bared on his own shoulders. If it meant Noctis could be like this, then Ignis would just have to be there to pick up the slack. He would always be there for his first and dearest friend.

And that night he had decided to also be there for Prompto. He’d indicated as much when he insisted the boy take the extra curry home with him, stored neatly in glass containers with a note detailing how to properly reheat it.

“It will simply go to waste in the back of Noct’s fridge. I would prefer it go home with someone who appreciates it.” Ignis had said pressing the package into his hands. Prompto had unsuccessfully tried not to cry in the backseat of the car, and Ignis allowed him the dignity of pretending he hadn’t noticed. 

Whatever mysteries were shrouding the boy’s origins were secondary to the benefit he brought with just his presence. It would be something Ignis would keep in the back of his mind, should the situation arise. And as fate would have, that situation had now risen. Prompto’s reactions and behaviors were telling; he had his own misgivings about his past that were now bubbling to the surface.

Ignis began to make plans for how to handle the following day, and as he did so sleep finally made good on its threat and took him.

He awoke at three in the morning to the sounds of frantic whispers, feet shuffling on the wooden floor, and a door gently closing. Ignis retrieved his glasses and looked around in the room only lit by whatever the moon had lent. Only one bed lay empty. Prompto was the only one missing, but he had certainly not left alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will actually contain plot, I swear


	4. The Kid Gets a Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto is responsible. Ignis cuts in. A doctor smiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, this chapter is where we drop any pretense of canon and dip straight into fanon when it comes to the MT clones and how they're used.

There were many things This Unit had managed to adjust to since leaving the base. He had managed to figure out eating food more complex than the nutritional ration he had always known. It took a great deal of practice, and it still did not feel like a well honed skill, but he was capable of moving liquid nourishment from a container to his mouth without waste. He had forced himself to grow accustomed to being referred to as “Kid” or “Hey Kid”, rather than his designation Ni 0748-92755182. He had adjusted to water sometimes falling from the sky, or the existence of four legged creatures, or the constant ever-changing noise that never seemed to end.

This Unit had somehow even adjusted to The Doctor holding him, running her hand through his hair, or speaking to him gently even when he could not perform a task correctly. He adapted to the way people looked at him like he had completed all drills at 100% efficiency even though he had only followed her into a room. He had gotten so very used to the way she guided him, holding his hand with her own so gently. This Unit had always remembered to call her by her code name, ‘Mom’.

But sleeping horizontally on a bed still eluded him. Back at base, he and all the other Units spent their nights in the pods. Upright, a slight incline, it was what he had known since he could remember knowing anything. But out here he was expected to lay on his back on too soft cushions that squeaked if he moved. Every place ‘Mom’ had taken him, the expectation had been the same, and the result was exhausting. Staring longingly at a ceiling, wishing for the comforting familiarity of his quiet dark pod. But at least in those rooms on those uncomfortable beds, he had ‘Mom’, who had held him close at her side full of soft warmth. It made the transition to sleep a little bit easier. Here, in this strange building, with too many strange people, he was alone. 

Well, almost.

In a separate room, down the hall from the one he was confined to, there was another Unit. That Unit was a higher level than him, he would guess at least a 3. That Unit was far from the only one he had seen since leaving base, but he was the first too low to be Completed. He was existing around these civilians without any armor and his form still intact. At That Unit’s level of growth he should have been close to Completed. Yet he appeared far from it. It was unsettling to This Unit. 

That Unit’s sudden appearance in the already unstable situation had brought This Unit’s entire world crashing down around him. 

The world that, as it turned out, was so much bigger than he could possibly imagine. All of his life base had been the whole world. He knew there was something out there, and when he was Completed he would see it for himself. He had never expected for ‘Mom’ to drag him into it so much sooner. He could still remember the moment when she looked at him with an emotion plainly on her face he still could not place. The fire alarm was ringing loudly, demanding all human employees to vacate immediately. She refused. She released him. She took him in her arms. She ordered him to go with her. Without any superior giving conflicting orders he obeyed.

At base the hierarchy of command was well established. Units of his level would always obey any order from an advanced Unit, as any Unit even capable of giving orders was in a place of high esteem afforded to so few of them. After them were The Doctors. Then The Soldiers. Then Dr. Besithia. Finally, The Emperor. ‘Mom’ was a Doctor, and since no soldiers, no Besithia, and no Emperor were around, he obeyed.

Surely That Unit would understand? He had to obey. He had to go. Even when every cell in his body was screaming that it was the incorrect action and there would be consequences. He obeyed. He had to.

He wanted to.

But now That Unit was the highest ranking individual in his current situation, and he could not make sense of what he could possibly want from him. That Unit spoke to him in a strange manner he had not heard before leaving base. Words that meant nothing to him dotting otherwise direct instructions. Even stranger was the obvious normal civilian announcing himself as outranking That Unit. It was troubling, confusing, and frustrating, so he cried.

‘Mom’ told him he should cry if he felt like he needed to. This was in direct contrast to his previous orders from individuals who outranked her. But she was the only superior there, and she ordered him to cry. So he did.

But ‘Mom’ was no longer with him. They had failed their mission, he had failed miserably, and fully expected That Unit’s appearance to be confirmation that he was a failed Unit. He was going to be taken back, decommissioned, and he would never have to sleep on a too soft cushion or eat liquid from a container again. But that’s not what happened. Instead That Unit told him to eat liquid from a container. That Unit downplayed his rank. That Unit dressed like the civilians, spoke like them, engaged in the same actions as them. 

It occurred then to This Unit that That Unit may have infiltrated this group, and his strange behavior was to maintain the deception that he was human and therefore trustworthy. That had to be it. He had never heard of Units being used as spies but there was plenty he knew nothing of yet. 

That Unit had to have a mission. Maybe ‘Mom’ had been trying to deliver him to That Unit to assist. It all made logical sense. This Unit felt a sudden pull to action. He felt like a failure for not piecing it all together sooner. Even more so for his inappropriate behavior in That Unit’s presence. He had no idea how much time had passed since ‘Mom’ took him on their mission, but it had felt like a lifetime to him. She had him learn so much, change so much, he forgot himself and what he was created for. Perhaps That Unit would set him right, and everything would be okay.

Quietly, he slipped out from the bed, moving slowly so as not to make the cushion creak. He slipped past the human child who had long ago fallen asleep and made his way out of the door which was slightly ajar to allow an exterior light to shine through. He carefully inspected the ground floor from above to ensure no one had stayed to keep watch. Feeling satisfied that every human was likely asleep by now, he made his way down the hall to the room he had witnessed the human males and That Unit retire to after rations.

The door to that room was closed, but This Unit had no difficulty opening it wide enough to slip through. It only made the slightest of noises. He paused to check the occupied beds for any signs of them waking up. Not one stirred. He quickly identified the form of That Unit and made his way up on that bed and by his side. That Unit was somehow asleep. Truly a testament to how much more advanced he was, to adapt to these conditions so thoroughly. He pushed gently on That Unit’s shoulder in an attempt to wake him. After a few moments with no reaction he pushed again, harder, and was rewarded with success.

That Unit swatted his hand away and rolled over to face him, mumbling something incoherent before noticing the source of the disturbance. That Unit’s eyes went wide with a sharp intake of breath. He then relaxed and collapsed back onto the bed.

“Geeze, little dude, don’t tell me you need permission to sleep too.” he whispered. This Unit shook his head in response.

“I want to know the mission.” He answered quietly. 

That Unit frowned at him. “The...what?” he asked.

“I can assist. ‘Mom’ brought me here to assist. I can do it.” This Unit replied with more urgency.

One of the humans stirred and fell back into silence.

“We can discuss outside of this facility.” This Unit slid back down to the floor and made his way to the door, motioning for the other Unit to follow. That Unit looked at him with a furrowed brow and mouth open, a hand pushing back his bangs from his eyes.

“I’m...what? Kid, where are you goi-Ok, hold on!” Finally the other Unit moved to action, putting on his boots and quietly following him out of the room.

\---

“Ok, now what were you trying to tell me?” That Unit asked. He had sat down on the wooden landing attached to the doorway. He looked exhausted and distressed. A strange thing for such an advanced Unit to display.

The small lamp on the wall was the only light, save the dim display the moon gave behind the heavy cloud cover. ‘Mom’ had warned him to stay out of the dark at night. He didn’t like speaking about sensitive matters so close to the human’s residence, but this would have to do.

“Sir, if you can divulge your mission I believe I can assist.” This Unit said. He stood up as straight as possible and made the appropriate neutral facial expression.

“Ok so you did say mission back there. Ok, what?!” That Unit began rubbing his eyes with his hands. “What mission? What are you- are you okay?”

This Unit was unsure how to respond to the inquiry. “I know you have infiltrated this sect of humans. If I know what your ultimate mission is I can assist.” Please don’t take me back to base, he wanted to scream, I can help with whatever it is you have to do here.  
“I am capable and willing to do whatever is necessary to further an advanced Unit’s mission.” He hoped that was enough. He hoped those were the correct words. He hoped he would agree.

That Unit closed his right hand into a fist and pushed his face against it. “How old are you, anyway?” he asked.

“I do not understand the question.” This Unit hated having to say that. Even when it was the truth. That was never the correct thing to say. It was always met with an immediate consequence. There was never an excuse for not understanding. 

“How many years? Five? Six?”

“I do not understand the question.” This Unit struggled to remain calm. This was not how this was supposed to go.

“Ok, little dude, for real, what’s with all this robotic talk about infiltrating the humans and missions and stuff? You know you’re human right? ” That Unit’s hands were again pulling back his hair from his face, but in a much more strained manner. “You are way too young to be this creepy.”

This Unit was teetering on the edge of actually screaming. Instead he calmly shook his head.

“I am not a human.” he stated. This was a test, right? Some sort of test to ensure he had not been compromised by his time with ‘Mom’ and he could still carry out his duty. 

“Yeah, you are.” That Unit responded, eyebrows arching in confusion. “Is this like a weird game or did someone mess with your head? It’s okay, you’re a human. You’re a freaking kid.”

“I am not a human,” he repeated. He could feel his breath quickening. Was this a mistake? Did This Unit not recognize him as a lower Unit? 

“You said you have a Mom, right? Humans have Moms. She gave you a name, right? What’s your name?” he asked. This was becoming beyond frustrating. Of course he did not have a name. ‘Mom’ had made mention once of ‘having to find the right name’ for him, but that was clearly in reference to a code name in order to move about safely. He was a Unit. Units don’t have names.

“My designation is Ni 0748-92755182.” He would prove it. He would prove to That Unit that they were the same, he could be trusted with this mission. He was not compromised. He forced the bandage covering his wrist up until his designation was clearly visible and proudly displayed it to his superior. 

That Unit responded by sitting up straighter and leaning back, just a little. He blinked rapidly several times. Then he took This Unit’s hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the barcode marking him as Unit Ni 0748-92755182. That Unit took several deep breaths before releasing his hand again.

“Okay. Alright.” That Unit whispered. “You want a mission?” he asked.

This Unit felt a sudden relief. “I want to assist with your mission.” 

“Okay.” That Unit nodded and pointed back towards the door. “My mission is to protect Noctis. Alright? No matter what. I have to keep him safe from anything that might want to hurt him. Even if I get hurt or die. That’s my mission. Understand?”

No, This Unit did not understand. If his mission was to protect the one called ‘Noctis’ from harm then why did he do nothing when the largest human clearly attacked him? But there was much he could not possibly begin to understand. That Unit was far too advanced for This Unit to comprehend everything he knew. This Unit would simply have to trust and obey. The orders ‘Mom’ gave him rarely made sense either, but he had trusted and obeyed. And since she was no longer here…

‘Mom’ was no longer here.

The fact sat heavy in his mind and suddenly everything in his body hurt at the memory. She had been running, and she was hurt, but they kept running until she could not anymore. And then she whispered her final commands to him and she was gone. Humans die. It is an inevitability. ‘Mom’ was human. She had died. She was gone and would not come back for him. Doctors and Soldiers die, and then they are replaced with new Doctors and Soldiers. This was normal. This was nothing. He was going to cry. ‘Mom’ said he should but ‘Mom’ was gone, and that was why he wanted to cry, but she was gone, and did that order matter anymore? Would That Unit understand? 

“You okay? Hey, what’s wrong?” That Unit asked. He put a hand on This Unit’s shoulder and frowned. “You look like you’re gonna cry again.”

This was it, he needed to explain. “‘Mom’ said I should cry if I feel like I have to.” Please understand, he wanted to yell, it isn’t my fault.

That Unit just nodded. “Yeah, she was right. You should cry.” Another deep breath, and then. “I’m sorry about your Mom, kid.”

Relief and sadness washed over him and the tears came quick and hard. He felt his whole body shaking. His throat made noises he had never heard before and he gasped for breath around them. He couldn’t think about anything but ‘Mom’. He remembered the gentle way she wrapped his hand around the eating utensil. He remembered the day he fell asleep in the back of a truck after too many nights without. He remembered waking up cradled in her arms, seeing her smiling face stare at the passing landscape, and hoping their mission could go on forever. 

That Unit must have known what he was thinking, because he pulled This Unit close and held him in his arms. It didn’t feel the same. It was still warm. But it didn’t have the secure confidence he had felt in her arms. He cried harder on That Unit’s shoulder, not much caring in the moment if it was appropriate. Nothing made sense, everything was off, she was gone and the rules kept changing. He wanted to be back in his dark, quiet pod. He wanted to be back in her arms in the truck. He wanted things and he wasn’t supposed to want. Units don’t have wants. He wanted to cry and he did.

“Is everything alright?” He heard someone new speaking softly. He felt himself being lifted from the ground, still held by the other Unit.

“Little dude couldn’t sleep, don’t really blame him.” That Unit replied.

This Unit turned his head to try and make out who the new person was. Behind the blur of tears and the bright lamp now too close to his eyes, he deduced it was the tall human. The one who gave him liquid in a container that tasted strange and felt slimy in his mouth, and then gave him more liquid in a different container that tasted good. The one who spoke gently like ‘Mom’ did. The one who touched his wrist.

“We’re just gonna hang out here until he can settle down. I’ll get him back to bed.” That Unit said with a shaky facade of confidence. The tall human remained for a few moments, looking him over and making him feel somehow even smaller than he already was. “Seriously Iggy, it’s cool. You can go back to sleep.” That Unit patted his hand on This Unit’s back a couple of times. The tall human nodded and walked back into the building.

The distraction had been enough to pull This Unit’s head back into the present. He settled his breathing and wiped at the tears on his face. 

“You need a name.” That Unit said softly. “I’m not calling you a bunch of numbers. It’s not cool, doing that to a kid.”

This Unit agreed, he needed a code name in order to maintain the illusion that he belonged. “‘Mom’ called me Kid.” He knew it wasn’t a name, not really. It was a reference to his physical similarity to a human child, or a ‘kid’. 

“Alright. That works for now. Probably. We’ll figure it out. Think you can go back to sleep now?” That Unit asked.

This Unit nodded, even though the question implied he had slept at all in the first place. His whole body ached and his eyes were burning. This whole meeting was exhausting. He thought he might even be able to sleep in a bed now.

“Alright, we’ll figure all this out. It’s gonna be alright. Okay? This is weird but we’ll figure it out.” That Unit moved towards the door but paused, glanced at This Unit’s designation mark, and moved the bandage back down to cover it. He did not say anything about it. He did not have to. It was a clear and direct order: keep hiding it. It was then This Unit noticed the other was wearing a covering on his wrist to conceal his designation as well. 

They were the same. 

He was part of the mission now. He was accepted by his superior. He was not going back to base, not yet at least. Relief made his eyelids feel heavy, satisfaction made his shoulders droop. By the time they were halfway up the stairs he began to slip into the comfort of sleep. Before nodding off completely, he could hear That Unit say one more thing, so quiet it was hardly even a whisper:

“What the actual fuck is going on?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to thank everyone leaving comments and kudos, y'all are the sweetest!


	5. Noctis Gets Some Sleep

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis holds on. Prompto deflects. The kid squares up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry to say after six revisions I'm still not happy with how this chapter flows but it conveys what it needs to all the same.

Noctis Lucis Caelum had a gift: he could sleep when he wanted, where he wanted, in just about any position possible. No mattress was too firm, no temperature too extreme, no noises too loud to keep him from blissful rest. He was an expert at sleeping in cars. In school he gained a reputation with his teachers (thank the Gods for Prompto, who knew exactly how to flick him behind the ear to wake him up when it mattered). As a child he would retire early from state banquets and fall asleep under the table. His antics once sent half the Kingsglaive into a panicked search for the missing prince who had just happened to fall asleep in the palace gardens under a bush that was just well pruned enough to obscure his form.

Noctis was notoriously lazy and took every opportunity to catch some extra shut eye. It became something of a running joke in the Citadel. The lazy prince who sleeps like a cat. And Noctis, trying to chase any amount of good humor in his life, took it with good humor. He didn’t think it was necessary to clarify that his lack of energy was a byproduct of the back injury that nearly took his life so many years ago. Or that the very same injury had messed up a few key nerve endings, which allowed him to get into some of the more ridiculous sleep positions without pain. He also failed to explain that taking on the armiger and channeling magic had become an additional drain on his already limited energy stores. Add on the combat training, school, the royal duties that sometimes occured with very little notice, and Noctis felt he was lucky to have any energy left to just sit on the couch in his apartment and mash buttons on a game controller. There were many days when he didn’t. 

One particularly embarrassing event had always stuck with him. He and Prompto had planned for weeks to have just one weekend together with no interruptions. They were going to marathon the new couch co-op dungeon crawler that was releasing that Friday. It was going to be an irresponsible mess of all night gaming, pizza bagels, and alcohol. It was going to feel like high school again, for just one weekend.

Noctis had prepared for it by cramming any and every responsibility he could into the week. He trained extra at night and made a point of acing every single report summary to get his retainers off his back. He pushed his limits to make sure nothing got in the way of their weekend. 

And then the first night, less than an hour into the game, they paused it so Prompto could use the bathroom, and Noct was out cold. He woke up six hours later, a blanket strewn over him, Prompto sitting on the couch playing a different game.

“Don’t worry, I made a new save file,” he had reassured Noct, “Didn’t want to ruin your new game plus run.” Noctis had felt like a shit head. His friend had also busted his ass to have this weekend, trading shifts around and pulling doubles so he wouldn’t have to work. They’d been looking forward to this precious limited time together for so long, and Noct just wasted six hours of it. And there was Prompto, acting like Noct had only slept for 15 minutes, not a single shred of anger or resentment to be had. Just an offer of a cold pizza bagel and switching the games back out so they could pick up where they left off.

Noctis had a gift that was given to him from childhood trauma, ruined his reputation, and got in the way of anything he actually wanted to do. But man, could he sleep anywhere.

And stay asleep. Much to the frustration of the men tasked with keeping him on schedule and on task. This particular morning it had been Gladio who woke him, a hand roughly mussing up his hair.

“Rise and shine princess,” he called, “Iggy made breakfast, and you’re not gonna want to let it get cold.” If staying awake was a challenge, waking up was impossible. The disconnect between his brain that screamed ‘Get up now! Please! Just get up!’ and his body that refused any and all commands was a nightmare. Gratefully the smell of warm coffee and fresh eggs managed to bridge the gap and make the process that much easier. Thank the gods this trip had been filled with Ignis being Ignis, waking up before the sun and having food hot and ready right when it needed to be. Even when all he did was reheat leftovers from the previous night’s campfire dinner he somehow managed to make it taste fresh and new and perfect for breakfast.

Noctis made a mental note to make sure he let Iggy know how much he appreciated it, and to try to not forget that note this time. 

He made it to the dining area just as Ignis was setting a plate down where he sat for dinner last night. It was just the four of them, Iris and the kids nowhere to be seen. Breakfast seemed perfect enough: eggs, toast, plenty of butter, and cured bacon. But the eggs, unfortunately, had been scrambled with diced onions and peppers. Because of course they were. Even the one meal of the day that many agreed did not require the addition of vegetables, Iggy would find a way to stick them in. 

Noctis did not understand anyone who enjoyed eating vegetables. The texture was nasty and the flavor always overpowered everything else. He knew they were important for his health and well being, how could he not when he was reminded of the fact every other day, but still he could not stand them. Sometimes he let Iggy believe he had pulled one over on him and tried to eat what he was given without complaint. Gods be with him, Iggy tried so hard. But shredded carrots cannot and will not ever be cleverly disguised under shredded cheese, and cauliflower tastes like cauliflower even when pureed to a liquid and mixed with alfredo sauce. 

He did not have the mental fortitude to eat slimy onions and peppers today, so he began the process of sliding the pieces out of his eggs and over to the empty ‘veggie jail’ part of his plate. Ignis sighed heavily right on cue, which did nothing to stop Noct’s momentum. No mercy and no regrets. To hell with the consequences. Ignis knew how this would turn out when he put them in.

“So, Iggy says you had to play dad last night.” Gladio said. Noct looked up from his project to see he was speaking to Prompto, who looked like shit.

Prompto visibly cringed before nodding. “Yup. Kiiiinda creepy waking up to a kid staring at you like that. Bet Iris used to do that to you when she was little.” Prompto was deflecting. He had a subtle twitch in his left eye every time he was desperate to change a subject, like he was begging for the other person to take the bait and pivot away from the topic at hand. Gladio let out a quick huff of laughter.

“Oh yeah. Gods forbid I miss the first few minutes of her favorite puppet tv show, or sleep past 5 am on Winter Solstice. You’re not a real big brother until you’ve wrestled an angry screaming toddler out of your hair.” Gladio was looking fondly at his plate.

Noctis had a choice now. He could call Prompto on his shit and make him talk about what happened with the kid last night, or he could be a bro and continue steering the conversation far away from him.

“Where is Iris anyway?” Today Noct would be a bro. Prompto looked like he’d had enough for one day, and it wasn’t even 8am.

“Outside, with Talcott and our young guest.” Ignis replied. “They’d already enjoyed some nutritionally deficient breakfast cereal. Talcott wanted to show the boy the lighthouse. Speaking of,”

Oops.

“Prompto, did you manage to find out anything critical about him last night?” Ignis asked. 

At least I tried, Noctis thought. Prompto gave yet another tell. When he was struggling with how to respond to someone he blinked quickly several times. Usually it meant he was considering telling the entire truth or just most of it. In their teen years he’d seen instances of this tell in action. It was always right before giving just enough facts to keep Noct (and sometimes himself) out of trouble. He couldn’t think of a single instance where Prompto had outright lied to him, though. That wasn’t who he was. He let it be known to all who could hear when he was terrified of a dark staircase or overjoyed to spot a picture perfect landscape. His thoughts on any situation were always out there for everyone to know (whether they wanted to or not). 

Prompto was an open book and everything about him was genuine and honest. That night on top of the motel when he suddenly and completely bared his heart out to him, Noctis pretended like he didn’t already know all of it. Prompto was a ball of anxiety and self doubt cosplaying, poorly, as the coolest guy who ever lived. It was a fun costume that everyone could see through easily. 

Everything about his best friend was like this. That first day he ran up behind him on the way to school, patting him on the shoulder and introducing himself like they hadn’t been in the same classes for five years, was so much more revealing than he had intended. The guy was shaking, subtly of course, but he was so obviously anxious despite his show of cool confidence. 

Even when Prompto thought he was fooling everyone, he had fooled no one. He never lied because he couldn’t. 

“Yeah,” Prompto said, “the dead woman was his mother.”

“Damnit.” Gladio whispered. Ignis inhaled sharply and leaned back against his chair.

“Did you manage to get a name out of him?” Ignis continued the interrogation.

“Nope.” Prompto shook his head, paused a moment (that blinking again), and continued “Seems to think he doesn’t have one.”

“No name at all? He was traveling with his mom, she had to call him something.” Gladio looked incredulous.

“Perhaps he does not trust us enough?” Ignis offered. 

“Said his mom called him Kid.” Prompto said.

“Maybe his name is actually Kid?” Noct interjected. “I mean, people outside the city have the weirdest names, right? What kind of name is Dave? Kid doesn’t seem too far fetched.” Noct felt pretty satisfied with his conclusion.

“No, it’s like…” Prompto made the face that said ‘I’m going to regret saying this’ and then did the blinking thing again. “Ok. He thinks he’s a robot.”

“A...robot?” Noct asked. 

Prompto nodded. “He seemed pretty convinced.”

Gladio let out a laugh, louder this time. “Kids do that. They make up things, convince themselves it’s true, and drop it as soon as the next cool thing comes along. Iris once spent two weeks telling everyone she had a pink chocobo from outer space living in her closet. And she committed to it. She picked fights with anyone who doubted her. She piled bags of grass into her room. Then one day, Glitterbomb the Chocobo had to go back home to his family and she never spoke of it again.”

“Oh Gods. I remember Glitterbomb.” Noct could vividly recall it was equal parts hilarious and charming. She had dragged her crumpled crayon art rendering of the magical bird with her everywhere, solid proof of his existence. “Gladio’s right, one day I asked her how Glitterbomb was doing and she looked at me like I had three eyes.”

“Children rarely have the context and experience to process difficult emotions and concepts.” Ignis supplied. “It’s possible pretending to be a robot is a means for him to work through the trauma of, well, the death of his mother at the very least. Who knows what other events led up to it.”

Noctis didn’t need to be told any of this. He remembered quite clearly what it was like to be a small confused child on the brink of losing everything. But instead of withdrawing into a fantasy world or coming up with desperate explanations for why these things happened he...slept. He remembered sleeping so much. He remembered waking up groggy and weak, being hit with the reality of his situation, and desperately returning to sleep. He didn’t even dream. It was just an empty darkness that took him away for what felt like years. Until one day he woke up and there was Luna, bright and smiley, encouraging him to try just a little bit more every day. Suddenly he wanted to be awake, to move from his bed and do the exhausting exercises the doctors made him do. He wanted to be around her and feel that infectious warmth she radiated everywhere she went.

And then one day he’d lost her too. And it had taken so much to bounce back from that. The occasional visit from Pryna or Umbra delivering a book that would have one new simple sentence written in the pages could not possibly contain the same feeling of being by her side. It wasn’t nearly enough to face each day exhausted and lonely with the pressure of his birthright hanging over his head. But he knew she would want him to try. So he did.

He had some idea of what this mystery kid was going through. He had an inkling of what it is the kid might need.

“Well, whatever his deal is, he seems to trust Prompto. Maybe we should stay a few days.” If anyone could come close to that same motivational optimism and cheeriness that Luna had for him, it was without a doubt Prompto. Maybe he and the kid were distantly related, maybe the similarity was a weird coincidence. Regardless, he knew what his best friend was capable of. 

He knew Prompto was good with kids and could match their energy. A few days around a positive big brother influence, some sisterly love and care from Iris, and the benefit of being around another kid his age was sure to help. And then they could figure out what the kid needed, where he might have family left, and boom! That's one more quest to better the lives of his citizens scratched off the list.

And hey, a few days at Cape Caem meant a few days rest near a pretty decent fishing spot. Win win for everyone.

“Just admit you want to go fishing.” 

Fuck Gladiolus and his ability to read everyone.

“Maybe.”

“There is a great deal of laundry that needs to be seen to…” Ignis added, taking a sip of Ebony. 

Noctis felt emboldened by Ignis siding with him. That was always a good sign that the other two would follow. Not that Prompto ever needed much pressure to go with Noct’s plans (unless they involved cramped dark spaces). But the Ignis Scientia Stamp of Approval held a great deal of influence. Getting it now meant a much needed break for everyone, and the possibility of getting help for a lost little kid.

“Then it’s settled. A few nights where we don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a soft bed should be good for everyone.” Noctis took a look around the other three for a sign of consensus. Ignis had pulled out his little notebook and was writing notes, possibly a to do list for the next few days. Gladio had his phone out and was busy tapping away. And Prompto was...staring at his barely eaten eggs, pushing them around with his fork.

What the fuck.

“Prom, didn’t you say you wanted to get a better shot from the lighthouse the last time we were here? Maybe the weather will cooperate this time.” He tried to spark some amount of that infectious excitement his best friend was normally overflowing with. Prompto being this quiet this long was...unsettling. “Eos to Prompto?” Noct said with a light kick to his foot when he didn’t get any reaction from him.

“Huh? Yeah, yep, sounds good.” Prompto shot a poor excuse for a reassuring smile to Noct before pushing his chair back and standing. “Thanks for breakfast Iggy, guess I’m not really hungry right now. Think I’m...overdue for a shower.” 

“Prompto.” Ignis said, making the blonde freeze in place. “Was there anything else about him, anything at all you believe we should know?”

Prompto blinked. And blinked. And blinked once again.

“Nope.” He shook his head and took off upstairs to the bathroom. 

Noctis immediately felt the energy in the room shift. It was annoying being in tune to these sorts of things. It was never direct, just a whisper of a feeling that said ‘you’re in danger’ or ‘something is wrong’ or his absolute least favorite, ‘Ignis is about to get serious’. The feeling was never wrong, and so many times it had saved their asses, but it was just one more thing needling at his focus and draining his energy.

“Gentlemen, we need to talk.” There he was, right on cue.

“Seems kind of rude to talk about Sunshine behind his back.” Gladio said without looking up from his phone. 

“Indeed, but this is a very serious matter.”

“Well we don’t have all day, what’s the problem?”

“I’m afraid Prompto was not completely truthful with us, or at least he decidedly left out a few important details about his talk with our guest last night. I happened to overhear quite a bit of it, actually.”

Noctis already knew he hadn’t told the whole story. But he figured Prompto would come around and fill him in when he could. It couldn’t have been that vital. If they needed to know something, he’d tell them. Whatever.

“Unless the kid gave out his secret plans to assassinate our prince, I doubt he withheld it on purpose.” Gladio put his phone down and frowned. 

Ignis looked like he was trying to pick his words very carefully, which was the norm for him anyway, but it was much more intense in this moment. “No, not entirely, I’m sure. But the boy’s notions of being a...robot, seem to extend to Prompto as well. He sounded rather adamant, in fact, that Prompto was a robot who had infiltrated our group.” 

Noct laughed, loudly. “Infiltrated? Prompto? Ok Specs, yeah, we should get right on investigating that.”

Ignis looked like he was barely hanging on to his last shred of decorum. “I do not mean to imply I believe the boy’s assertions. But something is not adding up in all of this. There were things he said, words he used, that went beyond simple make believe for a child his age. He…” Ignis paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. “He claimed he had no name, yes, but he also said he had a ‘designation’ instead. A very long string of numbers he repeated with confidence.”

“Iggy, this still doesn’t seem like-” Noctis made an attempt to handwave his advisor’s paranoia away but was interrupted by a fist slamming on the table. Ignis’ fist.

“He had an astrals be damned barcode tattooed on his arm.” Ignis seethed. 

What.

The fuck.

“A...tattoo?” Noct asked. That couldn’t be right. 

“I admittedly did not get a clear view of it but I know what I saw. The bandage he was wearing last night had been pulled up and there was a barcode inked into his skin. Numbers as well. Like he was some sort of product for sale.” Ignis did not show his anger easily. But when he did, it was intense, and well deserved. 

If Ignis was right, this situation deserved his anger and so much more.

“Who the fuck tattoos a child?” Gladio said with clenched teeth. “No wonder he’s convinced he’s a robot. Someone really wanted to dehumanize this kid.”

“Why didn’t you say anything right then?” Noctis asked. This had to be a mistake. Why wouldn’t Prompto mention that? Had he not noticed? Did Ignis forget his glasses? There were several good reasons that Ignis could be wrong and not a single good one for a person to do that to a child.

“It didn’t…” Ignis took a deep breath. “As I said, something wasn’t adding up and I had hoped Prompto could shed some further light on it. But his silence on the matter is troubling. Noct, there is too much to ignore about this. Their similarities in appearance, the identification of the boy’s mother, her employment in the Niflheim military, the lack of explanation as to where Prompto came from. Noctis, he knows something and he’s afraid to tell us.”

Gladio sighed. “Sure does look that way.”

Noct shook his head, feeling himself getting angry. “You’re wrong. You’re overthinking this.” He did not want to connect any of these dots because they were a silly coincidence, and he most certainly did not want Ignis to expand on what he knew about Prompto’s ‘origins’. That invasion of privacy, however standard procedure it was for anyone coming near the crown, was bullshit, and Noct had been pissed that Prompto had to pass some sort of behavior purity test to go to the arcade with him.

“Noct, listen, I do not mean to imply he means us any harm. Quite the opposite, I do believe he has genuinely good reasons for hiding what he knows, but he is hiding something.” Ignis was trying desperately to convince him.

“We can’t afford to be keeping secrets right now. If there’s any chance this could screw with our mission, we need to drag it out of him.” Gladio said.

Noct did not have the energy for this. Prompto wouldn’t keep serious shit from his best friend. Maybe he was exhausted, or he hadn’t noticed it. Maybe it was just a dumb temporary tattoo the kid had won at an arcade. Prompto had context they didn’t that would easily explain this stupid misunderstanding. They had zero reason not to trust him. Noctis had no reason to ever doubt his best friend.

Especially now, there was so little trust Noct was able to give. So few people he could drop his guard around. It was just one more thing in the pile that drained him. That trust he held with Prompto was sacred. And sure, Ignis and Gladio and Iris and Cor and the rest he could trust, yes. But that trust was implicit on an oath. It was given and received on the condition of the roles they were all assigned by an authority that no longer existed. Whatever genuine bonds of love and friendship he had with them, that stain of obligation would always be there.

The trust he and Prompto had was different. It was built up through years of shared secrets and text messages that would sink the crown itself if they got out. Prompto had so many photos of Noct he could easily sell to a shifty magazine for a small fortune and live easy for once. He never used his friend’s title for his own gain. He never asked anything of Noctis except what little time he had to spare.

That perfectly imperfect weekend, when Noctis was frustrated at himself, his packed schedule, and their entire situation, he had been struck with the realization that it was only going to get worse. The closer he came to the throne, the further he would end up from Prompto. It was inevitable. One day he would have to say goodbye to his friend, and he probably wouldn’t even know it was going to be the last. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t lose that unconditional trust and friendship, he needed that one thing from just this one person if he was going to survive what laid ahead. 

It was in the middle of that weekend, during an unskippable cutscene they already had to watch seven times, that Noct said without even thinking twice, “You should join my crownsguard.”

And Prompto, three chocolate dipped wafer sticks in his mouth, game controller clenched uncomfortably tight in his hands, looked at him in shock and replied, “You can just do that?!”

Prompto was his dearest friend. He wasn’t hiding anything on purpose.

“Screw this, I’m just gonna go ask him.” Noctis stood up from his seat.

There was an explanation and everyone would laugh and they’d move on and everything was okay and they didn’t live in a world where people branded little kids and messed up their brains.

Ignis moved quickly to catch up with him and grabbed Noct by the wrist.

“Noct, listen, do you really think the best thing to do right now is spring this on him?”

“Yeah, I think it’s stupid we’re acting like Prompto’s keeping some big mysterious secret from us and I’m going to resolve this right now. You know, like a leader would do?” Noct tried to move up the stairs, but Ignis held tight.

“Noctis, I only ask that you consider-”

The front door opened. Iris, Talcott, and the kid stepped through. 

“Good morning Prince Noctis!” Talcott chirped from the doorway. 

Noct noticed the kid, staring at him intently. Then, the boy’s eyes narrowed. His little fists curled into balls. And suddenly, 40 lbs of pure confidence in an orange ‘My Magic Moogle’ sweatshirt was running straight at them, an angry stare set directly on Ignis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (งಠ_ಠ)ง


	6. Gladio Gets a Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis smells trouble. Ignis plots. Talcott is a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am completely overwhelmed, I honestly didn't expect this to get any attention at all much less all these comments and kudos. Thank you all so much!

When Gladiolus left the citadel to escort his Prince to Altissia, he was certain he was ready to face anything. It was supposed to be a simple road trip. What horrors could they possibly face beyond a few sabertusks or at worst a coeurl? Maybe there would be an assassination attempt by the Imps trying to thwart the treaty. They planned to travel in daylight, stick to the havens, and get from point a to point b without much dillydallying. 

Even when everything went wrong, Gladio faced each new challenge with an edge of confidence and excitement. Demons, giants, MTs, flying beasts, even a fucking volcano God were nothing to him. He’d had over a decade of training to mold him into the perfect combination of strength and finesse. He had passed the trials of Gilgamesh with barely a scratch on him. He was prepared to come between just about anything and his charge. He’d spent his entire life working to become this: a perfect paragon of his family name and birthright.

But right now, 15 years of experience being a big brother to a stubborn brat was paying off far more.

Gladio had watched the scene play out in slow motion, a byproduct of his honed older sibling instincts. He focused as the small child readied himself and pushed off into a charge, preparing to throw fists with the focus of his ire. Gladio was instantly reminded of the time a four year old Iris had done similar. She was angry the box of cookies she had deftly procured from the kitchen counter had been taken from her hands. She had angrily barreled toward the poor inexperienced nanny who did not know what she was getting herself into. Gladio had stepped into the room at exactly the right moment to grab the screaming toddler into his arms and thwart her attempts at vengeance.

And just as he had done then, Gladio stepped into the child’s path at just the right moment to throw him off his focus. The shield went into a low squat, wrenched out one arm at torso level to the boy, and countered his momentum, scooping him up into a bear hug, all in one fluid movement. The boy fought back, squirming in his hold and kicking his legs.

“Easy there wildcat, what’s got you all worked up?” Gladio turned to face his sister who looked very taken aback by the display. “How much sugar did you give these kids anyway?”

Iris shook her head. “He was fine all morning. Didn’t say a word or act anything like...this.” She gestured at the still struggling child attempting to thrash his little fists in Ignis’ direction. Obviously frustrated at his lack of progress, the kid let out a very adorable attempt at a battle cry.

“I think he really wants to fight you, Iggy.” Gladio said with a bemused smirk.

“Big mood, kid.” Noct sighed.

Ignis himself seemed unperturbed, and just a bit sympathetic. “Anger and violent outbursts are natural responses to grief, I don’t suspect this tantrum is in any way personal.”  
There was a thumping of boots upstairs followed by a door slamming open. Prompto stared wide eyed at the scene below him, his hair still dripping wet on the towel covering his shoulders.

“Guys, I was gone ten minutes. What the hell?!” he squeaked.

“Seems mini-Prompto has beef with Ignis.” Noctis said as his friend descended the stairs towards him. 

“Don’t call him that.” Prompto cringed. “Kid, what-” he tried to ask but was quickly interrupted.

“He was hurting Noctis!” The kid pointed a damning finger at Ignis. “I was trying to stop him!”

Prompto groaned and put his face in his hands.

Noct let out a small laugh. “Wait what? Oh, because he had my wrist?” He lifted his hand. “Look, I’m fine, see? He wasn’t attacking me. We’re all good.”

Gladio looked down at the red faced, angry bundle in his arms. “Satisfied? Do you promise to behave if I let you down?” he asked.

The boy furrowed his brow and looked over at Prompto, who nodded his head. He let out a small grunt and agreed to the man’s terms. As soon as his tiny feet hit the floor Talcott was there at his side, all smiles and soft words.

“It’s okay, everybody here is a friend. Nobody is going to hurt Prince Noctis. Especially not while Gladiolus is around!”

Gladio felt a small bit of pride at Talcott’s vouching for his skill. Sure, kids were easily impressed, but Talcott had always been like a baby brother. And knowing you’ve impressed your siblings added an extra layer of gratification.

Iris crouched down next to the two children and put on a warm smile. “Hey, why don’t we go back upstairs and I’ll read some more Golden Moogle books?” Iris took the kid’s hand in hers. “And after we’ve all settled down a bit, maybe we can have some ice cream!” 

“May I suggest perhaps something with a bit less sugar?” Ignis asked.

“You may not.” Iris said playfully, leading the two boys upstairs.

More than the pride he felt in his own abilities, Gladio felt an immense pride in his little sister’s maturity. It felt like only yesterday she was a headstrong little terror, making demands of the royalty their family served. Iris was impulsive, easily distracted, and even a hint of the word no being used against her resulted in loud angry tantrums. To young Gladio, his baby sister was a nightmare. But he had an infinite pool of patience for her. 

Even at age 12, he had known at the heart of every meltdown, outburst, and screaming fit was confusion and pain. How do you even begin to tell a four year old her mother was dead? How do you get that through without some amount of anger and resentment bubbling up and out? It didn’t help that their father did not have the time for her. To be fair, the King’s shield had time for no one but the King. It sort of came with the job. Gladio was old enough to understand (as it would someday be for him as well). Iris was too young, too wound up in pain she couldn’t process, to grasp why her father couldn’t be there when she needed him.

Nobody outright asked Gladiolus to raise his little sister, but that’s what happened. Sure, Iris had nannies and tutors and maids and a whole array of service staff meant to care for her wants and needs. But they couldn’t grab her gently while she was crying, hands balled up in her blankets, refusing to come to dinner, and tickle her until her tears turned to laughter. They didn’t stay up late with her reading dumb baby books making silly voices for each character over and over, as long as it took to get her to sleep. 

Their job was to turn Iris into the lady of house Amicitia. They were tasked with teaching her decorum, politics, history, and etiquette. Gladio simply took it upon himself to teach her more important things, like how to kick a grown man in the balls or make chocolate chip pancakes without burning herself. He tried to be there where their parents couldn’t. Between education and training he had such little time, but he had given as much as possible to her. She deserved that much. Even if she was a bratty jerk from Ifrit’s hell.

And then one day, baby Talcott was introduced to the family. And little 8 year old Iris fell in love instantly. She would sit quiet and patient for hours around the adults if it meant she got to have ten minutes of supervised time holding him. As he grew, she doted on him endlessly. Every scraped knee had a kiss and a bandage. Each nightmare was greeted with a warm hug and a story to fall back asleep to. She took to her self appointed role with such eagerness, and as she did her own temperament began to mellow. Sure, some of that could be attributed to her growing up in general. But Gladio knew what it felt like to see something so small and helpless and decide your entire purpose now was to love and protect it. The responsibility changed her, as it did most people. 

Well, mostly. She was still a headstrong jerk sometimes. But that was just the Amicitia way. 

He could hear her listing off titles of books in the series as the three crossed the threshold back into the rec room and closed the door. Certain the youngest members of the household were plenty occupied, Gladio decided to break the ice before the inevitable storm of hurt feelings was due to rage.

“So Noct, what do you think of your newest addition to the crownsguard?” Gladio asked while crossing his arms.

“Quick response time and ready to take down a man five times his size? I think he’d be the most capable of all of you.” Noct said, deadpan.

“Your appreciation for our dedication is noted.” Ignis sighed. He’d been doing that a lot lately.

“Gods, Iggy, I’m so sorry, he didn’t hurt you did he?” Prompto wailed quietly. Gladio couldn’t help but be amused. For as much as the guy was insisting otherwise, he was certainly quick to take responsibility for the kid’s actions. 

“Not at all, the boy did not even make it close enough before Gladiolus intervened.” Iggy gave a sideways glance to the shield. “Though had he been able, I doubt he would do more harm than a baby chocobo pecking at one’s ankles.”

Gladio smirked in agreement, but deep down he wasn’t so sure. The kid had form, the stance he had dropped into before charging was obviously practiced. His reflexes were nothing to disregard either. With a little bit of coaching he could have easily dodged the bear hug attack. He was too young and far too small to do anything serious without some kind of weapon, but Gladio wasn’t entirely convinced the kid was as helpless as the others assumed.

“He wanted...he was playing this game...like the whole robot thing, and he wanted a mission so I made one up for him and I think he took it way too seriously.” Prompto looked strung out.  
Which, granted, was not that out of character for the youngest member of their foursome. 

Gladio felt some sympathy for the guy. Prompto had only received a small fraction of the training and experience he and Iggy had going for them, and he was expected to keep up regardless. A nervous little wreck of a kid barely out of high school climbing active volcanoes and dodging hornets bigger than his head. It was unsurprising that he could be a bit stressed now and then.

That first day Prompto had set foot in their training room he was uncoordinated, clumsy, whiny, and an all around wimp. But what he lacked in basically everything he needed to succeed he made up for in sheer loyal determination. Every time he fell he got back up. Every time he complained about an instruction he still did it. He greeted every set back with a self deprecating joke and a thumbs up. The duality of Prompto Argentum: simultaneously telling the world he can’t step up while going up ten steps. 

He'd felt bad for the young guy. How unfortunate for such a normal, regular kid to end up as friends with the Prince of Lucis. Noctis was clinging to him like a life raft in shark infested waters, refusing to accept his future place could not have Prompto in it. The guy was loyal though, and he was willingly dragged into whatever need be to keep his place by Noct’s side.

Gladio understood. He felt pity for him, but he understood. So he didn’t go easy on him. He worked him harder than any normal recruit would be expected to perform. He raised the bar in hopes the kid would make it halfway, and wouldn’t you know it, eventually his fingers had grazed it. That kind of dedication was something Gladio had only seen before in a select few members of the Kingsglaive, his own father and Cor the Immortal included. You couldn’t pull some noble born meathead off the street and expect that level of zeal to just be there. But you could take a devoted friend committed to his goal and teach him how to do push ups. Noct did pretty good picking his friends.

He’d never say that out loud of course. Couldn’t risk either of them getting too soft.

“I guess he thought he was being a good bodyguard.” Prompto made an attempt at a laugh that sounded all too forced.

“Yeah, he was doing a great job, actually. Specs here was trying to keep me from getting to the bottom of a stupid misunderstanding-”

“Noct.” Ignis gave a very curt warning to his prince.

“Because he knows he’s wrong and he’s going to feel really stupid when we get everything sorted out.” Noctis was very obviously done.

“Uh, o...kay?” Prompto’s voice was extra squeaky today.

Gladio had to laugh at the idea of Iggy being wrong about anything. What a day that would be, when Ignis Scientia would have to admit he had not been completely correct. Considering how much he and the others currently relied on that brain, Gladio hoped that day wouldn’t actually come. But if it did, Gods he hoped he was there. He didn’t have nearly enough ammunition to razz the guy and he would never let Iggy live it down.

“So, Prompto, did you-” Noct was interrupted by the loud ringing of Gladio’s phone. 

The other three looked at Gladio like he’d just belched in front of the Oracle. Gladio took a look at the incoming call notification, already knowing who it was. He decided to let that tension build a bit and accepted the call without clarifying for the other men.

“Hey.” he said.

“Cape Caem, right?” The man on the other end asked.

“Yup. Be here all day.”

“Great. Two hours out.”

“Yup.” Gladio ended the call and placed his phone back in his pocket. He crossed his arms and took a breath before answering the unasked question sitting in the room. “Cor. He’s dropping by in a couple hours.”  
If Gladio didn’t know any better he’d swear Prompto somehow turned three shades paler at the news. That guy seriously needed to be in the sun more.

“Uh, isn’t the Marshal kinda busy to be dropping by just to hangout?” Prompto asked with hope in his voice.

“Yes I am very curious as to the purpose of this visit on such short notice.” Ignis adjusted his glasses and gave Gladio his ‘We are going to have a talk later’ look.

Gladio shrugged. “He’s probably coming over because I told him there’s a mysterious little kid from Niflheim who was brought here by a scientist that worked for an MT production facility.”

“You what?!” Noct and Prompto said, practically in unison.

Ignis crossed his arms. “I suppose it would make sense to inform him but I am a bit worried that his...presence may be somewhat overkill for the situation.”

Gladio had always been in awe of Cor’s reputation. That is, how completely absurd it was compared to the actual man who led the crownsguard. People spoke of the Marshal as if he were some sort of demigod, an immortal being who graced the Lucian royalty with his service. The truth of course was way more hilarious. Cor was a shithead of a teenager who thought he could take on anything in all of Eos and the worst part was for a while, he was right! He called King Regis a pussy to his face, and the King responded by promoting him. Who else could possibly get away with that?

Cor was Gladio’s mentor, hero, and inspiration. When he was a kid, he would think, how would Cor handle this? And the answer would be some form of impossible stunt or a majestic show of force. Then Gladio grew up and trained under him, and he learned the real answer was ‘a combination of fancy swordsmanship and dumb luck’.

Cor the Immortal absolutely hated that everyone called him The Immortal. Not only because it was an ugly reminder that he had outlived two of the three monarchs he served. The moniker gave undeserved weight to his inexplicable ability to just stay alive when he really shouldn’t have, over the skills he’d actually poured his heart and soul into. Cor faced Gilgamesh and survived...because Gilgamesh let him live. He’d walked into the heart of Niflheim and back multiple times, because their military ranks were full of easily exploitable corruption. 

The more Gladio got to know him, the more he respected the real Cor Leonis. No longer some mysterious legend on a pedestal, Cor was just a regular guy like him, working his ass off to be a little bit better at what he did every day. Of course, he was still better than almost everybody else at it, but in an attainable way. 

So of fucking course he was going to tell Cor about what was going on. And if he hadn’t already, the Pint Sized Prompto’s little outburst would’ve motivated him to do so. Cor was a reasonable, experienced man who would have an idea of how to move forward while doing what was best for the mission. The mission their prince was more than happy to set aside for several days in service of picking potatoes on a farm. He had no place to complain though. He was, after all, the one who got them started on the whole frog collecting routine in the first place. They needed all the information and gil they could get. 

If the Kings of yore wanted Noct to be able to find their ancient weapons in a timely manner, they should have made it more obvious where they were hanging out anyway.

“You guys act like Cor’s gonna torture and interrogate the kid. He just wants to make sure everything’s looking good and Noct’s not in any undue danger. Y’know, doing his job? Besides, he’s spent more than enough time spying on those Nifs. Maybe he knows something about this. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Gladio shrugged his shoulders. The idea that Cor was a stoic scary boss man would never not be funny to him.

“It would certainly be a convenient coincidence.” Ignis agreed.

“Great, so the kid can get the shit scared out of him, and I can get a lecture about how I’m not working hard enough to get stabbed by more ghost swords.” Noctis huffed.

“I mean…” Prompto grimaced, “You...did kind of spend three days camped out by that lake so you could catch a giant fish, even though we knew exactly where the next tomb was.”

“And did I not catch said fish?” Noct asked, looking very incensed.

“Yeah, after making all of us stand in the rain for twelve hours!”

And there was that whiny bitching he was used to. Nice to have the whole team back with their heads on straight.

“Speaking of which, Prompto, you should really dry your hair before you catch a cold.” Ignis said, giving him a very obvious out from the interrupted interrogation effort. 

“Oh, yeah! Wouldn’t want that.” Prompto wasted no time excusing himself back upstairs and to the bathroom. And just as the door closed again, Ignis looked pointedly between Gladio and Noctis, hands squarely on his hips.

“I had very much hoped we could approach this situation with a bit more tact and finesse.”

“Why are we dragging this out? We should just ask him and move on.” Noct had grown a great deal since they left Insomnia in the back of the Regalia, but that stubborn attitude wasn’t going anywhere just yet.

“Think about this carefully. Prompto is still trying to feel secure in his place with us. We don’t want to make him feel ostracized or force him to discuss things that may be sensitive.” Ignis was trying very hard to level with Noct.

“A man’s entitled to his secrets.” Gladio said, and normally he would leave it at that. If no one was in danger and nothing was being hurt, let a guy have his internet search history or complicated childhood pushed out of sight from everyone. But, unfortunately, this was not a normal situation. “Threatening that entitlement can make someone lie or retreat further into themselves. You gotta be careful with these things.”

Noct shook his head, the stubbornness maintaining position. “Prompto doesn’t have secrets.”

“You’re deluded.” Gladio didn’t know how else to tell him. Noct was in denial, and he needed to snap out of it. He wasn’t doing Prompto or anyone else any favors.

“Noct, Prompto needs to feel confident that he can be open with us about his troubles without fear of being abandoned. I would hope as his friend, you could empathize with this.”

Noct rolled his eyes and looked at the floor. There it was, the sagging of the shoulders, the moment of quiet inner reflection, the tiny nod. The prince’s newfound ritual behavior for finally getting sense hammered into his head. Those moments had been increasing in occurrence as of late. It was a slow process, but he was finally developing into the version of himself he needed to embrace. 

Once upon a time, Gladio would hear Iggy say ‘It’s up to Noctis’ and he’d feel like they were surely fucked. But Noct needed the experience, bad and good, and it was working. The prince just needed a push in the right direction now and then. Or a shove. Usually a shove.

“Alright, fine. We do it your way Ignis.” Noct sounded defeated. “What’s the plan?”

Ignis seemed to relax some of the tension in his shoulders. “The Marshal’s impending visit complicates things but I believe we can work through this without much trouble. Noct, I want you to continue to support Prompto and be the friend he needs. That will lay the foundation for how I plan to proceed. Gladio, please inform the Marshal upon his arrival that the situation is delicate and being handled with care.”

Gladio grunted in affirmation. Noct took a deep breath and nodded. 

“But if this goes wrong and things get tense or awkward-”

“I fully intend on taking responsibility for the outcome of my instructions.” 

Gladio slapped Noct on the back. “Now there’s something you could stand to learn.” He was just giving Noct a hard time, a means of shifting his ire from Ignis to himself. 

As if perfectly on cue, the door opened once again and Prompto emerged, hair in (somewhat) better shape and clutching his camera. 

“I’m gonna head over to the lighthouse, I think the sun is in a good spot to get some nice lighting on the water, don’t wanna miss it!” He was so obviously forcing himself to act natural that it would have been sad if it weren’t so suspicious. Gladio hoped for Noct’s sake that this really was some stupid set of coincidences. He hoped for Prompto’s that whatever was eating at the guy could be easily coughed up. Because something obviously was, and the strain it was putting on everyone was becoming annoying.

“Mind if I come with?” Noct asked, doing a much better job of acting in his normal ‘everything’s chill’ bored manner.

“Dude, no offense, but you smell like garula shit. Showers all yours buddy!” Prompto bounced past them and made his way outside. 

“He’s right, you know.” Gladio shot the prince a smug grin.

“I don’t smell that bad.” Noct scoffed.

“Yeah, sure, you smell worse.”

“Which reminds me, I really should change the sheets on those beds…” Ignis sighed and resumed the duties he pretended he did not take a great deal of pride in. The guilt was an act, mostly. Gladio knew first hand how much Ignis enjoyed the rhythm and ritual of certain domestic tasks. Everyone needed a hobby and Iggy’s was acting like a mother hen to anyone he even remotely cared about. Gods forbid they ever relied on housekeeping at the Leville, the underpaid service staff simply could not perform to his standards. 

Noct grumbled his way upstairs to the bathroom. Ignis began busying himself with the aforementioned laundry. Gladio gravitated towards the dusty old bookcase and scanned the very few titles that had made the shelves their final resting place. Contrary to what his comrades may think, when Gladio felt strung out, he preferred the comfort of a good story over punching rocks. Training while stressed or angry led to poor performance, which only increased the stress and anger. The urge to act out physically was one he felt rarely and always tried to divert towards something more constructive.

Right now, he needed a distraction. Something new to pull him in and release the hold of anxiety hanging over the cabin. He picked a slightly smaller looking novel, The Road, and hoped his decision to get Cor involved was the right one.


	7. Prompto Gets a Scare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor hits it off. The doctor stares. A bomb starts ticking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again and again and again I love all y'all, you are wonderful! Next chapter might take a long time, I have a job interview this week and part of it contains giving a mock presentation I have to prep for.

Prompto felt like he was going to throw up what little breakfast he’d managed to choke down. This was all too much, too sudden, and too fast. He could feel himself regressing back to a dark place he thought he’d managed to leave behind a long time ago. His already fragile confidence in his place in the group was fraying at the seams. 

He half heartedly took a couple of photos from the viewing platform at the top of the lighthouse. The lighting was actually garbage, but the others didn’t know that. Or maybe they did and they let him have the excuse to get away. Maybe they wanted him to get away. Maybe they wanted to get rid of him. Maybe they were meeting in the kitchen right now discussing how to ditch him.

Prompto shook his head. “I’m not doing this.” He said calmly, to no one. “I’m not going through this again. I’ve worked too hard…” He half heartedly put his camera back up to his face, just taking in the illusion of the never ending sea. The sharp blue line that met the sky and hid entire cities behind it. He was excited to finally get on that boat and head towards it, once Noct was ready. He had been so full of excitement and happiness at the prospect of seeing such a radically different environment than what he was used to. New architecture, new people, new colors and sights ready to be captured forever in his hands. Now he felt that opportunity slowly slipping away.

Prompto wasn’t an idiot. He knew there was something about his background that could threaten everything he cared about, maybe even his own life one day. It was a seed planted long ago when he was too young to understand. His Father had chastised him for pulling his shirt sleeves up. Prompto had complained that it was too warm out, and when he thought his Father wasn’t paying attention he pulled them up again. The consequences were immediate, terrifying, and stayed with him forever. The man tightly gripping his arms, shaking him, his voice raised and scratchy in a way Prompto had never heard from him before. The threat was very real, do not do that again, and it was all Prompto could do to hold back his tears and respond, ‘Yes, Sir.’ 

The mark on his wrist went from a strange but natural part of him to something he feared. Mom and Dad had made it quite clear that whatever it was, however it got there, it was dangerous and bad and no one should ever see it. Prompto had felt an immense shame for ever having thought otherwise. It became a beacon of all his self hatred. Everytime he failed, his wrist burned. Everytime his parents replied to him with curt disinterest, it ached. Every night he spent listening to them fight in the next room he could feel the ink digging deeper into his skin until he swore it was etched into his bone. He asked them once, over dinner, what it meant. How it got there. Why he had it. The answer to all of those questions was to keep it hidden and it wouldn’t ever matter.

If that hadn’t been enough to tip him off that he was some kind of freak, the point was driven home the night he heard his Mom scream, ‘Maybe we fucked up! Maybe he’s not even human, and we have a ticking time bomb living with us!’ And his Dad had agreed, and said, ‘I’ll call them tomorrow and try to work something out.’ Prompto had stayed awake the entire night worrying over who ‘they’ were and what was going to happen to him. 

Whatever it was, it never happened. Not directly at least. His parents began pulling away though. They spent longer hours at work, more time away on trips, until eventually they just stopped coming home altogether. A weekly phone call turned into a monthly email that got shorter and shorter every month. By the time he was getting close to graduating high school, the only indication his parents were even alive was the money being deposited into his bank account. Even that was probably an automated process, now that he thought about it.

Prompto knew there was something wrong about him that he couldn’t control. But since he’d gotten that visit from Pryna and that letter from Luna that simply radiated with the soothing scent of flowers, none of it mattered anymore. He had a purpose, a calling, given to him from everything good in Eos personified. That calling was to throw away everything in the past that made him doubt himself and grow into something new. It was weird, and painful, and downright terrifying. But he followed through, and in the end was rewarded with the only thing he had ever truly wanted: to not be alone anymore.

The thought that the mark on his wrist could end up dragging him back to that dark loneliness left a bitter taste in his mouth. What a cruel irony it would be for everything to come full circle, and the permanent stain of his past to rip away everything he’d worked so hard to build. 

Prompto felt himself getting dizzy and carefully sat down on the grating, leaning his forehead against one of the metal bars on the handrail. It felt cold and grounding, something to focus on that wasn’t the psychosomatic burning and swelling pain in his wrist.

He didn’t want answers anymore. He had the validation he craved, he was perfectly happy with the person he was now. He had no use for explanations. He wanted to put everything behind him. He had been so ready to just let it die alongside everything else in his past that hurt him. 

He had actually started planning a new tattoo that could cover or extend off of the barcode. Something for him alone that would really solidify his agency, taking the mark for himself and rejecting whatever it was meant to be. He’d been inspired by Gladio’s tattoo. The way it told the exact story Gladio intended was exactly what Prompto wanted. He didn’t need anything so grandiose, of course, he wasn’t trying to show off. He didn’t need something that screeched his prowess to the heavens. He just wanted it to say ‘I’m me’. That would be enough.

He wanted to get it done at the end of their journey, after the wedding. A bookend to everything he’d achieved and been through to get himself and his best friend where fate demanded they be. He was ready to cover it all up and move on with his new life.

The Gods must have heard his plans and laughed. That was the only explanation for the existence of this kid, and everything about him that filled Prompto with a deep sense of dread. The physical similarity was bad enough, but at least it was excusable. The brainwashing, the signs of abuse, the terror and anger, all punctuated by the existence of his very own identical barcode with a unique string of numbers on either side? That was too much. That was proof that he existed for someone else’s purpose. He was brought into the world to carry out a plan, and whatever it was failed, so they made another one.

Whatever this kid went through had always been meant for Prompto. The thought made his arms feel weak and his stomach churn. How close had he come to being this? He never thought he would ever be grateful for his childhood but considering the example of the alternative that had been crying on his shoulder last night, he felt privileged to get what he had. 

And the cherry on top of this enormous shit sundae? The doctor. The one the kid called his mom. The picture of her on that ID badge made his blood run cold. He’d never heard that name before, and he swore he had no memory of meeting her, but her face just plucked at something at the back of his brain. Her eyes bore into him, as if accusing him of something he couldn't recall doing. He tried to handwave the feeling off as exhaustion and lingering anxiety. But now.

Now.

Maybe she knew. Maybe she knew that he had escaped from the fate that was subsequently thrust upon this helpless child. Maybe she really did love the kid like a mother and was placing the blame for the hurt and anguish he’d been through on Prompto’s shoulders. He suffered because you got away.

He felt like he was somehow responsible for this kid now. The guilt was enormous and only amplified by the lack of information. Prompto’s brain couldn’t help but fill in the blanks, and do so with the worst possible scenarios he could imagine. The sick feeling got worse, he needed to distract himself before he spiralled into a loop of morbidity.

He flipped through the last week’s photos. Noct with his record breaking catch, looking like a kid on his birthday. Ignis smiling over the steering wheel, eyes intent on the road ahead but fully aware of everything around him. Gladio perfectly captured mid swing taking down an Anak, nothing but confidence and focus on his face. A selfie he took at the campsite, Noct slumped over in his camping chair fast asleep and drooling behind him.

He was going to miss this.

He wondered, did they know he could hear them? Probably not. He thought it was nice, how Iggy didn’t want to hurt his feelings. And Noct had believed in him so much. He wasn’t looking forward to breaking the bad news. Yes, Prompto had been hiding something from him since day one. It was a shitty stupid tattoo he had no say in getting, no control over, and all he wanted was to pretend it wasn’t there and didn’t matter and why was that so bad? That wouldn’t kill their friendship, right? Noct would understand. Oh, the traumatized little kid that looks just like him has an identical one too and he knew and hid it from everyone? Who cares! A silly little mistake. Let’s all go pet some chocobos and forget this ever happened.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

He’d managed to carve out this little bit of time to clear his head before the inevitable. Soon enough he would have to face the people he’d somehow managed to trick into thinking he was a regular person who deserved to be here with them. And then Cor the Immortal would be there and then...and then Prompto had a sinking feeling that over ten years later he’d finally know who ‘they’ were and how they had intended to deal with their ticking time bomb.

Cor was an enigma to Prompto. A pinnacle of the crownsguard, a legend in a well tailored suit, a man whose reputation reached far beyond the borders of his own nation. All business, no nonsense. The very first time he’d seen the man Prompto was sparring with Noct, hand to hand combat, for the hopefully unlikely event that they face an enemy unarmed. Gladio was barking orders at the two, which only made Noct angry and Prompto more anxious. Gladio was obviously piling it on, trying to show Cor what a cool and badass dude he was. Cor for himself had only stood on the side, back against the wall, hands clasped behind him. Everytime Prompto had chanced a glance his way, Cor had been staring at him. It made him nervous being so obviously evaluated and judged by someone who could end his entire life with a couple of words. Cor hadn’t said anything to him that day, just watched him, signed something Gladio needed, and left.

The next time Prompto had met Cor, they were storming an Imperial stronghold together and he’d taken a moment to tell Prompto ‘Nice shot’. The sheer volume of pride those two words put in him was embarrassing. More than that, it had felt like some sort of seal of approval. Like Cor was acknowledging everything he’d done to be there next to him and was telling him his place was secured. Gods that had felt so good, like everything had finally clicked into place. That day, despite everything else that happened, was great.

That evening, they had all been enjoying Ignis’ skewers around the campfire, Prompto had been skimming through the photos he’d taken, and every time he looked up Cor was looking right at him. Again. It wouldn’t have been so creepy if he ever had a look on his face other than ‘big serious military man’. There was a moment, when everyone was chatting and messing around on their phones, that Cor had stood close by and said in a low voice, “I’m sorry about your parents.”

What a way to find out. Prompto didn’t even know they had been in the city. He had no idea how to respond, so he nodded his head and blurted out a ‘thank you’. He should’ve felt something, some amount of grief or sorrow. They had, at minimum, ensured he made it to 18 alive and in one piece. That was worth some emotion, wasn’t it? But all he had felt was one more chain of his past falling away to let the path he wanted feel that much more solid beneath his feet. 

And now here it was being ripped back out from under him.

Maybe he was catastrophizing. It was possible. There was a middle ground between ignoring the situation entirely and facing execution for treason. And that was talking about the issues like adults and making plans to address them in a mature and reasonable manner. Wow. Imagine that. Prompto’s brain literally wouldn’t let him!

Whatever happened though, he felt strongly that the kid needed help. Even if all that entailed was a safe place to sleep far away from the shitbags who hurt him, he would see to it. He couldn’t help but see his own painful childhood in the kid’s face. Kinda hard not to when it literally felt like looking into an age regressed mirror. No kid should ever have to live with that. Whatever was going to happen to Prompto and his place in the group after today, he would make sure that kid was going to be okay. Whatever that meant, whatever it took, he had to make that much right.

Prompto noticed movement from the corner of his eye. He looked for the source and saw Cor Leonis making his way up the trail leading from the street to the cabin. Had it really been two hours? He thought for sure Noct would join him up here long before then. He looked at the sun’s position, there was no way it had been that long already. So Cor was early. Prompto resolved to stay up where he was, just a little longer, give the others some time to figure out what to do with him. He watched as Cor finished the short hike, stopped to look at the grave for Jared, lingered at the makeshift one they’d set up for the doctor nearby, and continued on toward the cabin. 

Then Cor stopped, and looked over his shoulder at the lighthouse. Prompto suddenly felt very dizzy. He gripped his camera a little too tight. Once again, Cor was silently staring right at him. He pivoted, and to Prompto’s dismay, Cor began walking towards the lighthouse. 

He wanted to run. He wanted to jump over the edge into the water and swim to that horizon line and never come back. Instead his body decided it would be a great time to completely freeze in place and forget how to breathe. Every footstep on that staircase rang in his ears like an alarm and still it was all he could do to just stay still and try to inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

Cor stepped out onto the platform, acknowledged Prompto with a nod, and stood by the railing. He paused there a moment before putting his hands in his pockets. “Helluva view.”

“Yeah.” Prompto said, not trying at all to hide the anxiety in his voice.

“Never get sick of it.” Cor sighed, shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He shuffled a foot and pulled his left hand out of his pocket to rub at the back of his head.

If Prompto didn’t know any better, he’d think the Marshal was nervous.

“I meant what I said before. You know? I’m sorry about your parents.” 

Prompto wasn’t sure where this was going. Did Cor feel responsible for their deaths? Or was this the only sympathetic thing he could think to say to him? He kept quiet and let the Marshal lead the conversation.

“For what it’s worth, I think they really believed they could do right by you. At least in the beginning.” 

What.

“Then Ignis told me how you were living and I just... We could’ve done better, I think. I could’ve… Well we could’ve found someone better.”

What.

“Have they even called you? Checked to make sure you’re still alive?” Cor asked.

Prompto slowly shook his head, trying to make sense of this. So they were alive? And Cor knew them? And Ignis was spying on him? Or his parents were spies? Why had Cor been sorry in the first place? 

“Worthless pieces of shit can stay in Accordo for all I care, lot of good they were doing us anyway.” Cor leaned against the wall, head tilted back to look at the sky. “You know it’s funny, I was the one who insisted nobody tell you. I said, ‘He’s a kid, let him be one!’ and I figured that was good enough. Guess you were failed by everyone at every turn. Guess that’s not so funny actually.”

WHAT.

“Well, guess you probably have your fair share of questions now, wanna get any of them out before we head in?” Cor asked, not taking his gaze from the sky.

Yes. Prompto had many questions. About a million for a conservative estimate. His head was swimming in confusion, and a dozen questions bubbled up in his mind until only a single pressing thought could make it’s way out.

“What are you gonna do with me?”

Cor snapped his head down, looking Prompto in the face.

“Do with you?”

Prompto nodded.

Cor dragged a hand over his face “Argentum, what exactly did the doc tell you?”

“The doctor?” He raised his eyebrows. “The Nif one with the kid? She’s dead.” 

Cor took a few breaths, looked back up to the sky, and asked “How?”

“I don’t...she was dead when we found her. Them. When Talcott found them. Her and the kid. Uh, Monica and Gladio buried her so I...I don’t know how....”

Cor grimaced. “Then you...didn’t get a chance to speak with her?”

Prompto shook his head. Was he supposed to? He didn’t know her. He thought of her eyes again, how unsettling they were. Something about them was angry and not quite right.

“Shit.” Cor said softly. Then, louder, “Shit!” He pointed towards the path he walked up. “So that fresh grave…?”

Prompto nodded again. 

Cor looked like he had a massive headache, pinched the bridge of his nose, muttered something too quiet to hear, and without warning punched the metal wall of the lighthouse making a far too loud banging sound. Prompto jumped to his feet, moving away from the reverberating wall. Cor shook his hand out and took a deep breath.

“So none of what I was just rambling about made any Gods damned sense, did it?” 

Prompto shook his head. He was very thankful Cor was asking mostly yes or no questions.

“Marshal!” Ignis was calling from below, standing near the cabin. “Is everything alright?” That banging sound must have really traveled. 

“It’s fine, be there in a moment.” Cor yelled back. He turned to Prompto again. “Guess we got more to discuss than I was prepared for. Shit. Alright, I’m going to head down and speak with the kid. I need to assess his situation. And then we’ll…” Cor fumbled his hands in the air for a moment. “...figure out...this. And hey, you should probably breathe before you pass out. It’s a long way down over that railing.”

Prompto choked and inhaled. He hadn’t even realized he was still panicking. He’d thought after all this time being bombarded by enemies, beasts, and demons he’d be used to sudden loud noises. 

“You’re fine by the way. Nobody’s going to ‘do anything’ with you. Least no one here. If I thought you were a threat to the Prince, you’d be long dead.”

Prompto was unsure if that was supposed to be reassurance or a threat. Probably both.

“Thanks.” He said.

Cor laughed, turning to walk down the lighthouse stairs. “Don’t thank me yet, Argentum.”


	8. Ignis Gets a Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor makes it weird. The kid chows down. Noct has an attitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just gonna put a minor emetophobia warning for this chapter and the next two as well. It's very minor and not heavily descriptive.

Ignis watched with trepidation as Iris placed two chilled bowls of chocolate chip ice cream in front of Talcott and their small guest. Growing boys needed balanced nutrition, and between canned sauce, boxed cereal, and now this, the only thing these children were getting was spoiled. And who knows how the younger one was eating prior to being here? He certainly looked less than well fed.

The youngest boy was staring daggers at Ignis. The continuation of an unfortunate misunderstanding but one that would easily disperse with time.

The boy continued the unblinking watch until Iris placed a spoon by his bowl. Ignis monitored his movements, he was using the same grip as the previous night and made an attempt to fill the spoon with the ice cream the same way one would with liquid. Finding resistance, he looked to the older boy, who easily carved a bite out of the large scoop. After carefully observing Talcott make this motion a second time, the boy attempted to copy him. Finding it still difficult, he observed once again and adjusted his grip to match the other’s. He then successfully dug a small amount into his spoon.

The boy was very good at learning through observation. Ignis made a note of this in his ledger, right under ‘takes instructions literally’ and ‘likes warm milk’. He wasn’t sure who in the future would need these notes but they would have them all the same. 

What happened next, Ignis Scientia would remember as equally the most adorable and stressful moment of this entire event. The boy tasted the ice cream. And he flinched. And his face contorted. And his eyes went wide. He then picked up the bowl and began shoveling the confection into his mouth at an alarming pace.

All at once, the three nobles sitting with him at the table yelled.

“Don’t eat it so fast!” Talcott yelped.

“Oh no, wait, you’re gonna get a stomachache!” Iris rushed over to him.

“Bloody Hell,” was all Ignis could say as he also rushed towards the boy, who did not seem to notice anything other than the newfound existence of ice cream. 

Predictably he dropped the bowl and spoon, clutched at his head and made a small whimpering sound. Ignis carefully laid a hand on his shoulder and crouched down to his level. 

“It’s going to be alright, look at me.” Ignis gently commanded. The boy complied, his hands still gripping at his forehead. “The freezing temperature of the ice cream triggered your trigeminal nerve, which is sending pain signals to your head. Warming it will make the pain subside. Lift your tongue to the roof of your mouth and leave it there for a few moments.” He then quickly demonstrated the instructions himself. “Just like that.”

The boy opened his mouth wide, squeezing his eyes shut, and pushed his tongue up as best he could. After a few moments he relaxed and took a few shallow breaths.

“It’s okay! If you eat it slowly, that won’t happen again.” Talcott kindly offered. The boy’s face was red and his eyes were watery. He looked confused and in shock. Ignis patted his shoulder.

“It takes some getting used to, but I’m sure the reward is well worth the risk.” To a child, he thought to himself. Too much ice cream these days and his stomach would never let him hear the end of it. 

The boy eyed the remainder of the treat carefully and, perhaps agreeing with Ignis’ assessment, continued to eat it at a very moderate pace. 

“Guess he’s never had ice cream before. Can’t really blame him for reacting like that.” Iris said sadly. “Oh, I meant to ask if you’d like some too, Iggy?”

He politely declined the offer, thinking again of his rather unfortunate intolerance. Satisfied that no one was about to explode from frozen dairy related injuries, Ignis decided to check on the state of the laundry when a rather loud metallic banging sound grabbed his attention. 

“What was-” Iris said while moving towards the window.

“I’ll check, stay here.” He had no reason to suspect danger, but wanted to use caution nonetheless. The sound had come from the lighthouse. It was possible the wind had picked up some amount of debris that struck the exterior. Remembering that Prompto had said he would be spending some time there, he cautiously moved towards the structure. Just enough to catch a glimpse of the situation without being spotted himself. If Prompto was in danger he would require as much time to assess the threat as possible.

Sure enough, he could make out two figures standing at the top most landing. Ignis quickly catalogued the residents' current positions: Iris, Talcott, and the guest were in the kitchen. Noctis was still in the bathroom seeing to his skin and hair routine. Gladiolus had taken his book upstairs away from the ensuing racket. Monica had left early to check in with a group of hunters. Prompto was most likely one of the figures he could see. That left one unaccounted for shadow next to him. He mentally prepared himself for the possibility of summoning a weapon.

It was far too early for the Marshal to have arrived, if he was truly keeping to his itinerary he should not have pulled up for at least another hour yet. Either Cor was up there with Prompto, or a stranger. Neither option was good for Ignis’ purposes. 

He had hoped to have at least a small amount of time to speak with Prompto alone before the Marshal's arrival, but understood the necessity to allow him time for self reflection. It would seem that time had run out. Upon a closer viewing that was indeed the familiar form and jacket of Cor Leonis. And next to him was Prompto, looking quite shaken even from so far away. But what was the source of that loud sound? One could assume from context it cas, from someone striking the lighthouse wall.

Cor was starting things off immediately, was he? Ignis was not about to let this go unnoticed.

“Marshal! Is everything alright?” It was an empty question meant to convey to Cor that he was being watched, and to Prompto that he was not alone. 

“It’s fine, be there in a moment.” Ignis took a few steps back and waited until he could tell they were retreating back down the lighthouse stairs. Once he was sure they were on their way back he moved into action. Everyone would need to be alerted first and foremost. He would require a distraction. Gladiolus could always be relied on to assist, but that would also be far too obvious of a tactic. Noctis may not be as agreeable. Ignis was afraid the prince would still doubt his intentions. With a mental finger snap he had his bait picked out: Talcott would do nicely.

Next he would have to decide on a simple and succinct summary of what he wished to convey to Prompto. A far cry from what he had hoped for but one or two lines of encouragement and positive reinforcement would be better than nothing at all. Finally, the guest. He would have to be assured that Cor was an ally and meant no harm to Noctis by his arrival. Not that he feared either of them would be a threat to the other, but he very much wished not to repeat the earlier unfortunate misunderstanding.

He reached the door and hurried in, closing it behind. 

“What was that noise? Iris said you wer-” Noct asked from his spot leaning over the bannister. 

“The Marshal is early, he’s coming in now with Prompto.”

The prince’s posture immediately straightened. “Now? What the hell, I thought-”

“Talcott, I require a small amount of time with the Marshal distracted, may I count on you to take his undivided attention for as long as you can?” Ignis chose not to waste precious seconds coddling his highness’ anxieties. He had a plan to put into action. 

“Yes Sir!” Talcott appeared overjoyed at being handed the responsibility.

“Iris, please ensure the young lad understands this is another friend and not someone to be accosted in the name of the crown.”

Iris nodded, trying to hold back a smile. Ignis had to admit to himself, the earlier display of valor had indeed been humorous, even downright cute. But that sort of outburst could end up causing the boy harm in the future and would need to be addressed.

“Hey, he’s my bodyguard, I think I’m the one who makes the call on who he should and shouldn’t pummel without mercy.” Noctis said with a straight face.

“Gladio! We have company! Noct, I do not have time for your jokes right now.”

“Who said I was joking?”

“Noct!”

The door opened, and in stepped Prompto followed closely by the Marshal. Ignis simply had to glance at his partner in crime for the lad to understand the stage was all his.

“Afternoon.” Cor said as he closed the cabin door.

“Marshal Leonis!” Talcott practically skipped over to the man. “It’s so good to see you again, Sir! I’ve been reading through my Grandfather’s journals and there was something I really wanted to ask you about!”

“That’s uh, that’s great kid, but I need-”

“Please, Sir? It’ll only take a minute! I’m just so excited!” Talcott was certainly not acting or putting on a show, he was brimming with genuine curiosity and joy. That boy had a bright future ahead of him.

Cor sighed. “What’s your question?”

Satisfied that Talcott had his attention, Ignis carefully took Prompto’s and motioned for him to join him at the far side of the room. Gladio was emerging from the bedroom. Noctis was coming down the stairs looking their way. Iris was crouched down by the youngest speaking to him gently. Perfect.

Ignis took a brief moment to assess Prompto’s state. He was deathly pale and looked rather sick. He appeared to have no physical signs of injury, not that Ignis believed the Marshal would do such a thing but he had a standardized checklist to get through and by the Gods he would get through it every time. Prompto’s skin felt cold and a bit shaky, he should’ve worn a jacket but perhaps it was exacerbated by anxiety, insufficient sleep, or lack of a full meal. All in all Prompto’s state could best be described as ‘not great’.

“Prompto, I need to tell you something.” Ignis whispered. Prompto’s face shot up to look at his, obvious fear written all over it. “Whatever has happened or will happen, you have proven yourself a trusted member of this party more than enough. We are here to help you, just as you’ve always done for Noctis. Can you trust that, Prompto?” It was awkward, stilted, and contained none of the nuance or subtlety Ignis had hoped to convey to their junior member but it would have to suffice.

Prompto looked surprised, cast his eyes to the floor, blinked rapidly several times, and inhaled deeply before meeting Ignis’ eyes again. “I know, Iggy. Thanks.” 

The moments where Ignis could not identify the reality of a situation were few and far between. Ignis accepted this was going to be one of those moments as he struggled to read any concrete emotions on Prompto’s neutral expression. 

“How many more times am I going to have to clear this up, write this down kid. No, I did not let that poor excuse of a gunslinger get away, because he wasn’t the one I was after.”

Ignis snapped his attention back to the Marshal, realizing Talcott’s attempt at diversion was adequately successful.

“I was taking down a crime syndicate, and that idiot just happened to be there, and assumed we were after him, and made a grand show of how big and bad he was before running off. Then he ran his mouth all over Hammerhead and acted like he bested Cor the Immortal. When you write your little history book you make sure you include that.”

“Yes Sir!” At some point Talcott had procured a pen and notebook and was indeed taking notes.

“Now if you’re finished trying to pull one over on me, we have business and I don’t care to draw it out.”

Ah.

“Marshal, we had not expected your arrival for-” Ignis tried to explain.

“Decided to put off another appointment for later, I was nearby anyway.”

You wanted the element of surprise, is what Ignis suspected.

“You didn’t inform me the doctor was dead.” Cor said to Gladio, taking a few more steps into the room.

“Why? Planning to interrogate her? Or just a little kid?” Noct asked, crossing his arms.

“Is that what you think this is about?” Cor seemed genuinely incensed at the accusation. “If she was dead when you found her, how did you know she was a doctor?”

Ignis remembered the identification card in his back pocket and procured it for the Marshal.

“Gladiolus found this on her person.” 

“Face matched, it was all she had on her.” Gladio clarified.

Cor took the card and looked at it intently, frowning (more so than normal). He shook his head, and placed it in his own pocket. “Funny how the smartest people can make the stupidest choices. I assume that’s him?” He nodded his head towards the kid, standing at the end of the table at Iris’ side.

“Yeah, that’s the scared sad orphan.” Noctis huffed.

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Cor mumbled. He walked closer to the boy, stopping only a few feet from him. He waited there a moment before deciding to crouch down to his level. “Well now, let’s see what all the fuss is about.”

Ignis felt his throat clench as Cor reached out to the kid, putting his hands on either side of the boy’s face. The kid looked petrified but remained still as Cor moved his head gently side to side, then lifted the hair out of his face and simply stared for a moment.

“Can you pull your sweater up?” Cor asked.

“Marshal-” Ignis stepped in closer.

“I just need to check something, it’ll only take a moment.”

The boy, predictably, shifted his gaze to Prompto.

“Ok, no, I’m not...come on!” Prompto groaned.

“Seriously, that’s weird.” Noct chimed in.

“What the hell do you guys think Cor is gonna do?” Gladio barked at the two young men.

“Marshal.” Iris interrupted. “I dressed him this morning. If you’re trying to find any abnormalities, there weren’t any.”

Cor nodded at her, seemingly satisfied. He stood up, took a few steps back, and rubbed a hand over his face.

“It appears what we have here is, unfortunately, a normal little kid.” Cor said this directly to Ignis.

“Unfortunately?” Ignis asked. What a curious word to use so conspicuously. 

“So, he’s not a machine?” Noct sarcastically asked.

Cor grunted out a laugh. “No, but he was meant to feed one.” Cor’s shoulders sagged and his face went somber. “I rushed here because I thought I was picking up one of my agents and the package she was meant to bring back with her. Looks like she had her own plans.”

So Cor did know what was going on. Ignis’ head was swimming with information he was quickly trying to catalog. The doctor was working for the Marshal as his agent. She was obviously Nif in origin, so she must have been recruited for the purpose of infiltrating their facilities. The boy was intentionally extracted from a research installation for some Lucian state purpose, but for unknown reasons he was not what the Marshal required. The agent had acted on her own accord. 

There was still the question of the barcode, the boy’s behavior, his deferral and resemblance to Prompto, and how Prompto even factored into this at all. Ignis needed to find a suitable means of extracting however much information the Marshal was willing to divulge without causing yet another uproar.

“What was she supposed to bring back?” Gladio, never one for subtlety, asked directly.

“Guess there’s no point in secrecy anymore.” Cor gestured towards the table before taking a seat himself. As Ignis pulled a chair out, he thought to suggest Talcott not remain for this discussion. But he was holding the smaller boy’s hand, looking to support his new friend. Ignis recalled a similar situation, holding the prince’s hand when Noct was too scared to go into the council chamber alone. They hadn’t been much older than the two lads sitting here now. 

Prompto hesitated before joining them.

Cor pulled the doctor’s badge back out and placed it face up on the table. “Where to even start?” he sighed. Cor looked at Prompto, who was looking at the table. He turned his attention back to the photo before him and crossed his arms. 

He was either deciding how much to divulge, or coming up with another story altogether. Ignis hoped he could discern which the Marshal would choose.

“We knew the Empire was experimenting on their own people. Easy to get ahead of the competition when you don’t play by any rules. King Regis ordered an agent sent in to spy on them and find out as much as he could. That spy came back with two kids and terrible news: their experiments were being carried out on children. Genetic engineering, demon ichor, mechanical augmentation, all sorts of horrible shit, excuse me, being done on helpless little kids. Even infants.”

He closed his eyes and grimaced. Ignis had to guess these were things Cor had seen for himself. “We thought we had all the evidence we needed to act, but those two kids the agent brought over? Normal. Nothing out of the ordinary done to them. Least nothing that could horrify a nation of people into rebellion.”

“So the purpose was to expose these crimes to the people of Niflheim?” Ignis clarified.

“Yeah, a one two punch of inciting outrage in the enemy populace against their government and energizing our own into action. But it didn’t pan out that way. Worse yet, the abduction hadn’t gone unnoticed, and the Imps cracked down on their security measures. No Lucian was getting back in or out of that place.”

“What happened to those kids?” Iris asked. 

“The oldest was a tough case. Had difficulty with rehabilitation. Smart as a whip, didn’t take anyone’s shit, excuse me, but had an understandable lack of respect for authority.” Cor cracked a grin. “So of course she joined my team.”

“The doctor.” Gladio stated.

“One and the same. She could easily look and play the part. Her willingness to jump back into hell reinvigorated the mission. We thought for sure we had it this time. She had access to the center of the horror show. We were preparing for an extraction, and then…” Cor gestured vaguely with both hands. “This happened. I warned her to stay put. Told her we didn’t have the resources to get her and a victim out safely. But she was never one to take orders from anyone, much less me.”

A thick silence fell over the group. Cor turned to look at the child again, and continued, “Guess she thought you were worth risking it all for.”

The boy simply averted his gaze to the wall ahead of him. He looked ill, swaying subtly in his seat. Talcott leaned over and gave his friend a hug. Whether or not the two understood the gravity of what they were hearing, Ignis couldn’t say.

Ignis chanced another glance at Prompto. His eyes were closed, brow furrowed, his face was turning red. Like Ignis, he was three steps ahead in this story. They both knew where this was leading. 

“And the other one?” Noctis asked. The question was genuine. He really had not put the pieces together yet. Ignis knew it wasn’t for lack of critical thinking skills. Denial could cloud the senses of anyone.

Cor nodded his head. “Cutest damn baby you’d ever seen. And free from any memories or emotional damage. After your dads were satisfied he was just a normal baby, we had him placed in the child welfare system. Got adopted real quick. Thought for sure he’d end up just blending into normal society, but,” Cor looked over at Prompto, addressing him directly, “you weren’t exactly satisfied with a civilian life, were you?”

Prompto was blinking away at tears. Ignis reached over to place a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. He looked at Prompto with a face that said, ‘remember what we spoke of’, and Prompto simply nodded in understanding.

“Wait.” Noct said. “Why...” The prince looked from Cor, to Prompto, and back again. The pieces were pulling together but with a great deal of resistance.

“Oh for crying out loud, Noct, Prompto was the baby.” Gladio forced the pieces together himself. 

Noctis was in shock. Prompto was biting his lip. The kid looked terrible. Cor seemed satisfied. 

“Not much else to say, except we all had ourselves a morbid laugh when you two started hanging out.”

“Oh yeah? And what the hell is funny about any of this?” Noctis stood from his chair, fists clenched. Here came the theatrical drama Ignis was very familiar with. “So some Nif assholes were going to…and they’re still…” The prince was radiating pain and anger, staring down his best friend who had his face covered in a gloved hand. 

“Is that really what all this has been about? Prom.” Noctis walked around the table to where Prompto was sitting. “Come on, really? Who cares where you were born? That’s never mattered! This doesn’t change anything, you’re still you.”

Equally clumsy and awkward reassurance, but kind words that were desperately needed nonetheless. Prompto faced the prince, eyes watery and face red, and silently nodded at him. Noct seemed a bit teary in turn and bent down to crush his best friend in a possessive and sudden hug.

“This doesn’t change anything.” Noctis repeated.

Ignis felt that Noct was missing the forest for the trees. What would normally be a more than reassuring speech by his highness seemed to wash right over Prompto, and it was easy to see why.

Ignis knew when he was being misled. There was much more for the Marshal to say, plenty, but he was holding it back. He had carefully picked out enough information to satisfy their curiosity and made it sound like storytime with Uncle Cor. He was good, but Ignis was better, and he was far from content that they had the whole story.

Through context it was obvious Cor was the initial agent. The age discrepancy between Prompto and the boy meant there was a large gap between the first and second mission. The woman in the ID looked to be in her 20s. Where was she in the meantime? Ignis doubted the Marshal recruited an 8 year old. Prompto’s adoption must have been staged as well. Possibly Cor’s own people masquerading as a happy young family. Ignis had to suppose that once it became clear he wasn’t anything more than a child with all the needs, issues, and difficulties of a normal child, they had abandoned their ‘mission’.

The question now was what did Prompto know, what was Cor not telling them, and how much did those two spheres intersect?

“Marshal, I am curious.” Ignis thought through his list of loose ends carefully, trying to pick at which ones could lead to answers for multiple questions. “The boy referred to your agent as his mother. Was that intentional?”

Cor lifted his eyebrows, looked again to the (much worse for wear) kid and turned towards him in his chair. “Is that right?” The kid did not respond. Cor glanced once more at the identification card. “Was Dr. Profugan your mom?” he asked.

It went without saying the name would be an alias, but it was interesting that Cor seemed to need a reminder of what that was.

“Answer his questions.” Prompto ordered, plain and simple. It seemed the spheres had little if any overlap.

The boy seemed to snap to life, despite the look of illness on his face. “The doctor told me to call her Mom. That was her code name.”

The Marshal seemed to find a bit of humor in the boy’s statement. “Did she? Can you tell me what happened before she died.” 

It seemed a rather cruel thing to ask of the child, but Ignis could understand the necessity.

The boy hesitated before nodding. “She was hurt. They hurt her.”

“Who?” Gladio asked.

“The units. One shot her. The man told them to shoot her.”

“The man?” Cor asked, starting to look angry.

“Sounds like she ran into some MTs.” Gladio said.

“What the hell was she doing around those?” It was obviously a rhetorical question, but the boy had an answer.

“We were running from the man. We ran into them.”

“What man? Who was he? What did he want from her?” Cor asked.

Ignis felt a need to put a stop to the questioning. He did not wish to interfere with the Marshal’s work but the boy was looking worse and worse.

“Kid, why was she running from the man?” Cor asked again.

“Marshal, I think-”

Before Ignis could finish his suggestion, the boy opened his mouth to answer, and the Marshal’s lap was quickly covered in liquid chocolate chip ice cream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration for the ice cream scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0EPqmMPDa8
> 
> I wasted two whole years of my life playing Overwatch, and sometimes Cor has dialogue that makes it so obvious he shares a VA with McCree, hence the not so subtle reference :Y


	9. Cor Gets Some Pants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kid chills out. Prompto asks a question. The doctor wants revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up I am smack in the middle of peeling potatoes and wrestling with a 27 lb dry brined monster turkey, here have some Sad Cor Feels 
> 
> Also I literally just now made a dedicated tumblr for reblogging FFXV stuff and posting about fanfics, come talk to me y'all! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/bramblepeltao3

Cor Leonis had many regrets in his 45 years on this star. Some of them were small things that stuck with him, like the time he could see the broken spirit in a trainee who couldn’t cut it. He didn’t need to be so harsh with the guy, he really had tried his best but his best just wasn’t crownsguard best. Then there were the large regrets that could cause physical pain if he lingered on them too long. Not appreciating the time he shared with his King and comrades all those years ago. Or the plan that went bad almost instantly, losing some of his best talent in what felt like an instant. He thoroughly regretted getting involved in the lives of a few kids who needed so much more than what he could and did supply.

Right now he was regretting pushing a child into emotionally volatile territory when he was clearly already on the brink of losing his lunch. But his retribution for that transgression had been swift and thorough. Those chocolate vomit stains were never coming out, he was sure of that. And if that weren’t enough the poor thing himself looked so pathetic with tears, snot, and chocolate all over his face.

You did that Cor, nice job.

There was a flurry of activity the instant it happened. He heard Gladio offer a change of pants, Scientia was getting the kid water, Iris was right there at the boy’s side with a kitchen towel. The other little guy was rubbing his back telling him it was okay. Behind him, his prince was attempting to make a point Cor already knew.

Cor hated dealing with kids. He didn’t hate the kids themselves, he hated the way he sucked completely at interacting with them. Even when he himself was a kid, he didn’t want to be around other kids. He was praised for being so mature and capable of keeping up with the adults, but when it came to his peers he was always too harsh or serious. He had no experience dealing with children as anything other than tiny adults and every time he tried to do otherwise it came out so forced and awkward.

Maybe that’s why he took the girl too. A six year old who could thoroughly dress down and eviscerate the dignity of someone three times her age. She didn’t pull her punches and let him know exactly what she thought of him. Mostly that she thought he was an idiot. She was full of anger and determination with a dangerous need to prove she could handle anything thrown at her. 

In short, she was just like him. He couldn’t just leave her there.

He shouldn’t have sent her back there.

And now she was dead. 

That was your fault too Cor, you’re on a roll.

Gladiolus interrupted Cor’s self deprecation session with the aforementioned change of pants. Cor cringed a bit at the sight, they were certainly going to fit but in a way that was meant for men much younger than him. He thanked his student and took the offering. It was better than what he was wearing now. Cor excused himself to go change, assuming he couldn’t possibly make the situation any worse by leaving it.

Returning once again to this place was bittersweet. Everywhere around him was a memory of a time he took for granted. His King was a stronger, healthier man. Clarus was at ease and the most relaxed he’d ever seen. Even Cid managed to put down his work and waste an entire afternoon with them playing cards, downing imported beer, just existing like they were brothers at a family reunion. No war, no duty, no royal protocol. He wished he knew how important those moments would be. He wished he’d been just a little more present and a little less anxious for the next round of danger to kickoff.

It was nice seeing the next generation using the space the same way. Even if the games were now on phones and there was a lot less fancy beer and more herbal tea. It was a shame Regis couldn’t take Noct here when he was a boy. That would’ve been nice for both of them.

Cor finished putting on Gladio’s pants and tried to focus on the fact that they were not covered in vomit. He couldn’t remember having ever worn pants that had been this tight in these specific places. He felt an overwhelming need to chastise the man for picking style over function. 

He lingered in the bathroom a few moments trying to get a grip on what exactly he was doing here. Everyone downstairs was looking to him for answers, guidance on the next steps. His plan coming in was to extract his agent, assess the ‘package’, and if the kid wasn’t a dangerous spring of demon ooze he would find a safe place for them to hunker down until this international conflict was over. Cor could get back to his duties and the kids could get on with their lives.

The point of the extraction was now moot. The Imperial machine was running full steam ahead and nothing was going to slow it down. And even if there was a point in going through with their demoralization campaign, the kid didn’t fit any of the parameters for what they needed.   
She was supposed to get one who had undergone some of the treatments. A kid who was still obviously a human kid but had the physical symptoms of demon ichor being forced into his veins. Maybe one with some gods awful metal components grafted into his skin. 

A little ironic in retrospect, they were trying to take an abused child away from being used for one purpose only to turn around and use him for their own. 

He had stopped thinking of the conflict as good guys vs bad guys a long time ago. 

But what to do now that his actions led everyone to this point? He had to steer things in the best direction for everyone involved. There was no easy way out now that she wasn’t in the equation.

Noctis needed to get on with his mission. He needed to stop dragging his feet around the countryside and get to Altissia. If Cor just let it be he was sure the prince would use the kid as an excuse to drag things out even longer. On the other hand, being around the level headed influence of Scientia alongside the grounding presence of another person like him was probably exactly what the kid needed. 

And what would the alternative be? Dump him on a teenage girl? Of course Iris would gladly take on the responsibility. She would agree to anything asked of her if it meant helping Noctis continue his duty. But that wasn’t the point. Cor had dumped the last two kids into less than ideal situations because it was the convenient option. He wasn’t about to do that a third time.

So what was left, bring the kid along with him? Take a brainwashed child into the heart of a devastating conflict just to assuage his guilt? If Delphi wasn’t lying dead in the dirt she would probably strangle him for the thought.

Cor knew what the answer was. It was far from ideal, but it was the best they had. Noct’s retainers certainly looked like they needed a break. Especially the blonde one.

Fuck.

He’d really fucked that up.

‘Hey no pressure but you’re a foreign born lab rat who barely escaped the jaws of the war machine because I happened to find a bored little girl who had more sass than sense. Oh, and every Magitek unit you’ve cut down is genetically the exact same as you as well as that ice cream filled sick toddler you found.’ Yeah that would’ve gone swimmingly. ‘Oh and one more thing! I arranged your adoption by two of my agents who, it turns out, were great spies and terrible parents and the whole situation ruined all three of you.’

Of course he wanted to spill it all out. It had been eating at him for years. He’d hoped Del would’ve done the tell all before he got there. She would have if given the chance. She probably would’ve handled breaking the truth to Argentum a lot better than he had.

Cor had one very massive regret weighing him down, and it was the fact he had ever separated those two. But if those agents couldn’t handle a normal baby, they certainly would’ve broken down a lot sooner at Del’s smart ass mouth. It wouldn’t have worked, there really hadn’t been any other option.

There had absolutely been another option.

Cor pushed that thought away as he had done so many times before. He decided on the next course of action and made his way back down into the emotional clusterfuck he had created. Luckily in his absence, things seemed to have calmed down. Scientia was holding the boy, now in a different shirt, who thankfully had stopped crying. He was slowly rubbing his hand on the kid’s back in gentle circles. Ignis Scientia: the most capable babysitter in all of Eos, his talents finally being put to use on someone younger than 18. 

The prince was typing on his phone in a manner Cor could only describe as ‘furious’. Gladio had taken Iris and Talcott aside and was speaking with them in hushed tones. Argentum was nowhere to be found. They all turned to look at him as he descended back down the stairs.

Don’t worry gang, the resident old asshole is back. 

The prince whistled. “Careful there Cor, one wrong move in those and you’ll end up with a hernia.”

“Very funny, your highness.” He sighed.

“Don’t listen to him Sir, you look fine.” Gladio shot a warning look at Noct. 

“Where’d Argentum run off to?” He needed an assessment of the state of things before giving his final recommendations and heading back to business.

Dumping the problem and running away, more like.

“Prom’s outside. Said he needed some air.” Noctis shot his attention back to his phone.

“And you didn’t go with him?” Cor asked.

Noctis responded by lifting his eyebrows and making an overly frustrated expression. “He wanted to be alone…” Back to angry typing.

Cor simply nodded and made his way to the door.

“Marshal?” Scientia asked. 

“I’m just gonna go check on him. That was a lot to dump on the guy.” 

“Actually, I had hoped to clarify one more thing.”

Great. Cor had a great deal of respect for Scientia. Quick witted, practical, loyal to a fault. He was peak perfection of everything the Hand to the King should be. And that meant nothing got past him.

“Prompto and the boy...are they related?” He asked. Everyone was looking at him again.

“They do look a lot alike don’t they?” Cor answered. He had a dilemma. He had promised himself when he sat with them at the table that the one thing he wouldn’t do was lie. He’d conceal some key facts, stretch the truth, and talk in circles if need be, but he wouldn’t tell a direct outright lie. “It wouldn’t surprise me.”

Scientia did not look convinced. He could read between the lines and come to his own conclusions easily. That would have to suffice for now.

Cor was prepared to undertake a search for the missing crownsguard member. Luckily, Argentum was simply squatting on the porch staring out at the tree line obscuring their little sanctuary from the street. He didn’t acknowledge Cor when he stepped out. That was fine. Cor closed the door and leaned against the wall to join in the staring.

“You alright?” he finally asked. 

Dumb question.

“...yeah.” Argentum lied.

“No you’re not.”

“...yeah.”

Come on Cor, you can at least try this time.

“Everything you said in there, that was the truth?” he asked.

“Every word.” Cor answered.

“But not the whole truth.” He was a smart kid, smarter than he let on.

“Indeed.” Cor crossed his arms and let the sounds of nature smooth out the tension building around them. After a few moments, Argentum spoke again.

“Were you planning on telling me the rest?” he asked.

“That depends. Do you want to know the rest?”

That was the least he could offer the guy. A choice. Do you want the real dirty details of everything that transpired to get you here? Do you really want to know what they had planned for you? That you’re the genetic clone of one of the most vile men to walk this star? Do you want the burden of knowing every time you take down a Magitek soldier and hear its mechanical screaming that its fate was meant to be yours? That you were made specifically to submit and suffer until you were destroyed, a pool of black slime among broken electric parts?

He’d told the whole group everything he thought needed to be said to explain what was going on and the suspicions it had cast on the guy. It was Argentum’s right to decide if the darker parts were worth sharing. It was his right to decide if he wanted to know those parts of his past at all.

Argentum inhaled a shaky breath. Waves crashed. Birds sang. Trees danced in the wind. 

“No.” he finally said.

“Alright then.” That was that.

“I don’t...I mean, I’m just…” Maybe that wasn’t it. “Gods look at me, I’m shaking.” Argentum was staring at his hands that were indeed trembling. “Some fearless member of the crownsguard over here....you must be pretty disappointed, huh?”

Cor thought of the day he watched Argentum training with the prince. A flurry of anxiety had been running through his head. He knew the domino effect of that very moment would very well lead to where they were right now. So long as he remained so intertwined with Noctis, he would have to face the truth of his origins sooner or later. It would’ve been so easy to be the asshole and spare him from a truth he didn’t need to know. He could’ve simply told Gladio the kid was no good, he can’t cut it, get him out. No one would’ve questioned him. Noctis would’ve had a fit, but he could live with it. He’d lived with many of Noctis’ fits.

But Argentum was good. He had skill, it just needed some polish. And that commitment? That was fantastic. But more than anything he watched as the two boys had joked around, laughing, smiling, punching each other playfully, trash talking during bouts. The prince was happy. The infant he had risked his life to retrieve out of certain death had grown up to become a capable, well rounded young man who injected light into whatever situation he was thrust into. He couldn’t be the thing that broke that up. Cor had at that moment gladly signed the last of the paperwork cementing his status in the crownsguard.

“No. I’m not.” Cor’s gaze lingered over to the two graves. Two people he wasn’t there to save. Two on a very long list.

“What was she like? The one they killed? ...your agent?” Argentum asked quietly.

What was there to say about her? She was a jerk. She was overflowing with love. She rejected multiple avenues of an easy life, either from stubbornness or morality. At age 8 she could read an entire pre-med university textbook and repeat the contents by heart. She was too stupid to tell the difference between good and bad advice. 

One day Cor had visited her at school. The best boarding school money could buy. An academy for the gifted daughters of Lucis’ most powerful nobility. It was a perfect place to harness her talents. They would give her everything she would need to become a doctor, or scientist, or engineer, whatever she could imagine. Her intelligence wouldn’t be wasted. It was the best option he could think of for her. And so it was that Cor had to visit the 14 year old, dressed in the black and silver school uniform appropriate for girls of Lucian nobility, blonde hair in two perfects braids over her shoulders, and a fresh purple bruise under her left eye. 

She asked why he was here, he asked why she was getting into fights. She asked why he cared, he asked why she was throwing away a perfect opportunity. She asked how her baby brother was doing. He couldn’t answer. She cried, he felt like shit. He asked what it was she wanted. She told him revenge.

“She was a fighter.”

That seemed to be enough.

Argentum stood up, he seemed to be coming back to himself. 

“You got any more questions before we head back into that mess?” Cor asked. He shook his head. Good. Alright. That went...okay. Better than it could have.

“One more thing,” Cor felt like his mouth was running without his brain, “I wouldn’t have spilled all of that out if I thought for one second those guys would dump you over it.” Was that necessary? Argentum was still shaking. Maybe he needed to hear that. “You good?”

“Yeah.” He cracked a shaky smile. This time Cor believed it.

Cor opened the door and waved him in. Things were on stable ground now. He could make this right. They could figure this out.

He chanced one last look towards the graves before following Argentum in. He wished he knew what she had been thinking, why she made those choices. Why she picked this kid. What she was running from. If nothing else he wanted to finish what she started, someone owed her that much. He’d do right by the boy. He’d find out who put that bullet in her and run them through. He’d make sure that facility burned to the ground.

Cor would make damn sure Delphi Besithia could rest in peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why yes, I did lift some dialogue almost directly from one of my favorite albums, and you can hear that track and more on the Spotify playlist I listen to when I write :3
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/22x5wn5k3uc4dr4zdwxgt3mca/playlist/4P4tr8Kv0pkMepCJwAeCSm


	10. The Kid Gets His Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talcott keeps watch. Prompto takes a picture. Noctis gives advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always thank you everyone who comments, kudos, or just reads this in general!! If you wanna talk FFXV, fanfiction, headcanons, or send me some prompts I setup a tumblr for that very purpose: https://bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com/ Come talk to me! :3

This Unit was having a very strange day. First he ate something weird and soggy from a container, and then something bright orange and sour from a different container. It was also weird but it made the human boy and human lady happy. He liked them. In the absence of That Unit he wanted to defer to them. Then he was taken incredibly high up in the sky for seemingly no purpose but to be there. 

Then he returned to their base to find the tall human attacking ‘Noctis’. He remembered his mission and acted accordingly, but had been thwarted by the large human. Then he was told he acted inappropriately and felt immense confusion. And then the human lady told him about a small creature who lost a ball and was upset about it. The creature eventually found the ball again. He could not understand why she was telling him this had happened, but it seemed to make her and the human boy happy.

Then he was given even more food in a container. He wasn’t hungry but he wanted to make them happy. The tall one was monitoring him. He monitored back for any signs of an impending attack. He learned to utilize the utensil in a more efficient manner. He ate the coldest food he had ever had. He was confused that anyone would choose to eat it. But then something sparked in his mouth, and despite the chilled nature of the substance he felt an immense warmth take over. It was the most good This Unit had ever felt before and despite not being hungry he felt an overwhelming urge to get as much of the substance in his mouth to maintain that feeling.

But it had been a trick. Pain seized upon him and the tall human had moved in to strike. But then he didn’t? He helped. And the pain stopped. And he was advised to continue despite the risk of more pain. So he did, and it was still good, and this time there was no pain.

This Unit was left confused.

And then there was a great deal of noise and activity. The pleasantly empty space quickly filled up. The human lady who spoke like ‘Mom’ told him a man named Cor was coming and he was a friend. He knew this. ‘Mom’ said find Cor. That was her last command before she died. He didn’t know why he was supposed to do this, but she had said to so he would. But the chain of command had been disrupted and he had a new priority mission, but this one was still active so he felt satisfied that it would soon be complete.

The human man named Cor looked like the Soldiers at base. But he did not identify himself as such and therefore That Unit was still in charge. The man named Cor proceeded with a routine inspection, but ordered This Unit to do something to better facilitate it. This Unit was unsure how to proceed and deferred to That Unit for further instruction. That Unit responded negatively. The inspection had ended.

His stomach started feeling bad. 

He was glad he was allowed to sit as the uncomfortable feeling worsened. The humans were talking, they were upset, That Unit appeared to be undergoing a structural failure but was still functioning. That sort of failure would have been severely punished at base. It must have been a means of continuing the infiltration.

The bad feeling was creeping into his throat.

The man named Cor asked him a question. He asked This Unit about ‘Mom’. He called her by her name. That Unit gave him a command without This Unit having to request direction. Finally. 

He told the man it was her codename. He wanted to know about her injury and subsequent death. This Unit did not want to talk about that, but he had a direct order, so he did. 

He told him about the other Units. How they had run into them because of the man. The man scared ‘Mom’. They ran from him and into Those Units. She told This Unit to cover his ears, and he did, and then Those Units were disabled on the ground. The man was back and appeared adequately satisfied with the state of the situation. The man and ‘Mom’ spoke. They were both angry. The man commanded Those Units back to proper active status. ‘Mom’ had squeezed This Unit’s hand tight enough to hurt, but it didn’t hurt, it felt safe. He could remember her saying one thing to the man.

“The two of you are going to fucking burn.” The man had smiled and waved his hand. One Unit took aim and shot her. She picked This Unit up and ran. She was bleeding and it was warm and covering his legs. She ran for so long and bled and squeezed him close to her. She slipped and they fell a short ways into some dirt. This Unit had easily rolled and recovered from the fall. ‘Mom’ could not. She was bleeding more. She told him she was sorry.

“I really screwed this up, huh? Bet that moron would love to rub it in.” This Unit could tell her life was fading. He had focused all attention on her words in case she needed to impart further instruction. “You need to find him, okay? Find Cor. He’ll know what to do. He always does.” ‘Mom’ laughed before closing her eyes and grimacing. “He’ll help you. You’ll be ok. Find Cor.” That was his mission. She was crying. This Unit was crying. ‘Mom’ said he should cry so he did. There was so much blood. This Unit stayed by her. She was here, but gone. She was gone. He stayed by her. This Unit could not recall how long he had stayed there before the human boy found him. He knew he was tired, hungry, and everything ached. So when the human boy commanded him to follow, he did.

This Unit did not have the strength to tell the man named Cor all of this. His stomach hurt and his eyes were burning. He summarized the events down to the most important pieces. It wasn’t enough. He wanted to know more details, and he wanted answers This Unit did not have. It was too much. He could not continue following his orders. 

He felt dizzy, his skin felt like a thousand needles were pricking him all at once, he started sweating, his mouth filled with acid and then that acid was on the man named Cor. 

He expected immediate repercussions for such an obvious defect. On the list of things that a Unit should not do, this was surely at the top.

But instead he was comforted, cleaned, and held. Had he misunderstood? The man named Cor told them he was a Unit. Their cover was blown and the mission in jeopardy but there was no fight, no anger, no punishments from anyone for anything. The tall human held him like ‘Mom’ had. He whispered the same things she had whispered. 

“It’s alright now. Just breathe.”

He was a lot like ‘Mom’. Maybe he was also a Doctor? That would make sense. Maybe the tall human was a Doctor and the large human was a Soldier and This Unit and That Unit were being tested and observed. That would make sense. It would make a lot more sense than everything else that had happened since they left base. 

This Unit wondered if he was performing adequately under these conditions. Probably not. 

Over the Doctor’s shoulder he could hear the Soldier speaking to the human lady and human boy. They were quiet, but he could make out a few sentences if he closed his eyes and focused.

“Sounds like he’s all bark and no bite.” That was the Soldier

“I can’t imagine what he’s been through.” That was the human lady.

“We can still help him, can’t we?” That was the human boy.

That Unit had left. The man named Cor came back, and then he also left. The Doctor continued to hold him, but he was quiet now. He looked the same way the other Doctors had looked when they were assessing Unit performance and metrics. The Doctor was assessing his performance. This Unit wondered where the metric readouts could be.

“You must be terribly confused.” The Doctor said quietly. 

Yes, finally, an accurate assessment! He really was a Doctor!

The Doctor continued. “But you should know you are safe, and no harm will come to you here.”

This Unit did not know that and was glad the Doctor informed him. He felt bad that he had ever doubted the Doctor’s intentions with ‘Noctis’. He felt the same way as that day in the truck with ‘Mom’ and the sky and the wind. He thought it would be nice if this was forever now. He hoped that the man ‘Mom’ wanted to burn didn’t find them. He didn’t want this Doctor to die too.

“If you ever need to talk about what you’ve been through, you may feel free to do so at any time.”

That was a strange command. This Unit was too tired to ask for clarification. He could feel himself drifting away again. He could hear the sound of something high pitched and melodic. The Soldier spoke. He sounded happy. This Unit drifted out and came back to attention several times.

“I think that would be fantastic for him.” The Doctor said.

This Unit fell asleep.

\---

This Unit woke up in darkness. For a moment he thought he was back at base in his pod and coming out of stasis. The thought did not comfort him. He felt his lungs were not functioning properly. He wanted to go back with the Doctor and That Unit and the man named Cor and ‘Mom’. He’s not supposed to want.

His eyes adjusted and This Unit realized he was indeed still here. Everything was fine. He was still here. Why was he crying?

“Hey, are you awake? It’s okay.” The human boy was standing at the side of the bed. “Did you have a nightmare?” This Unit did not know what a nightmare was or how he could have acquired one, so he did not answer.

The human boy climbed into the same bed as This Unit and pulled the blankets over them both. The human boy pulled his sleeve down over his hand and used it to clean the saline off This Unit’s face. 

“I get nightmares sometimes, too. My Grandpa used to say nightmares are just our brain’s way of processing all the problems that make us scared and upset. So it’s important to think about them and how you can solve those problems.” He put an arm around This Unit. “Do you wanna talk about it?” he asked.

This Unit did not know what the human boy wanted. From context he had to assume a nightmare was the illusion he experienced upon waking up. He had certainly felt scared and upset. 

“I thought I was back.” This Unit said.

“At the place where they hurt you?” The human boy asked.

This Unit considered the question. The Doctors there had done things that caused pain, but those were just standard procedures. It wasn’t abnormal or unexpected. This Unit had no reason to be scared or upset by it.

“Yes.” This Unit answered.

The human boy wrapped his other arm under This Unit and held him close.

“You’re never going back there, ever, and they can’t hurt you ever again. Prince Noctis wouldn’t let them, and nobody can beat him!”

This Unit did not understand why what the human boy was saying made him feel good. Like when he was being held. Like this could be forever.

“And Gladiolus can beat up anything. And Ignis is so smart, nobody can trick him. And Iris is the best big sister ever, she’d never let anyone take you away!”

That thing he had just said, ‘big sister ever’, he’d heard that before.

“I know what you’re thinking, worst big sister ever, huh?”

‘Mom’ had said that. When did she say that? 

“And I bet Prompto would shoot all the bad guys too.”

From previous context he knew ‘Prompto’ was the codename for That Unit. That Unit would protect him. That was strange. Units aren’t supposed to protect other Units. They were disposable. This Unit’s breathing was back to a normalized state. His eyes were now dry. He felt the tension held in his shoulders melt. 

“You can go back to sleep, I’ll stay here and protect you.”

The thought of the human child protecting This Unit was illogical, but that did not stop him from feeling content. He closed his eyes and instinctively nestled his head against the boy’s neck. It felt safe. He slipped away.

\---

“Oh shit, that is cute.” This Unit awoke to the sound of the Soldier’s voice.

“Told you. Prompto! Hurry, they’re waking up.” The human lady said.

“Yeah, I’m coming, gah stupid lens cap!” 

This Unit opened his eyes. The human boy was still beside him, asleep. The light was too bright, so he closed his eyes again. He heard a couple of clicking sounds.

“Done. Immortalized forever, the cutest thing I have definitely ever seen.” That Unit said.

“You say that now, wait till we get there and then suddenly everything else will be the cutest thing-” The Soldier said.

“Yeah yeah, point made.”

This Unit opened his eyes again. That Unit had a strange black device in his hands. That Unit smiled at him.

“You two are gonna wanna get out of bed and get ready. We’ve got a big day!” 

The human boy stirred and rubbed at his eyes. The others left.

“Good morning...oh! I forgot to tell you, we’re going on a trip today!” he jumped out of the bed and ran to the structure that held clothing. “They just hatched a new baby at the chocobo ranch! Wiz said we could come say Hi! Here, you can wear this one today, and then I’ll wear this and we’ll match!”

That was a lot of information for This Unit to process. He accepted the clothing assigned to him for the day. This time it was blue. This Unit did not know clothing came in so many different varieties. It felt inefficient. The human boy also pulled out blue clothing, but they each had a different diagram on them.

So they were relocating to another facility. Was this one compromised? And there was a baby at the new one. Babies were the smallest form of humans. They were going to greet the baby. This Unit suspected he would make better sense of the situation once they arrived.

After changing the two went to the rations station once again. This Unit thought it would be nice if he could have the cold thing again. He would consume it correctly so it did not hurt. The facility smelled strongly of something else, though. The Doctor was preparing rations. Good. He could be trusted. This Unit took his place at the same chair he had been in the previous day. The man named Cor was already there, sitting in the chair next to him, as he did the previous day. 

The man named Cor was staring at the small plastic rectangle he had been studying the day before. He held the card in one hand and rubbed his head with the other. The man tapped the card on the table a few times before turning to This Unit.

“You should keep this.” The man said. “She looked different when I knew her. But this is who she was to you. Here.”

This Unit took the plastic as instructed. There was a picture of ‘Mom’ on it. He held the plastic with the rough edges and shiny surface in his hands. He hoped no one ordered him to dispose of it.

“Amazing what a little hair dye and some contact lenses can accomplish.” The man heaved a large sigh. “Well, I should be heading out now. I stuck around longer than I intended.” The man rubbed his head again, looked at the device on his wrist and frowned.

“Marshal, are you sure you don’t have time for breakfast? It’s nearly ready.” The Doctor asked.

The man named Cor, or Marshal? Cor Marshal? Sometimes humans had two names. The man named Cor because that’s what ‘Mom’ called him shook his head and stood from the table.

“The offer is appreciated, Scientia, but I’ve never been much of a breakfast person. I’ve left my contact waiting long enough.” The man named Cor started walking towards the door but stopped to point a finger at the staircase. ‘Noctis’ was there. He was pointing at ‘Noctis’.

“You remember what we talked about.” The man named Cor commanded.

‘Noctis’ rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I got it.”

“I’ll be waiting.” The man named Cor made a motion towards the Soldier, opened the door, and he was gone.

A flat container was placed in front of This Unit, with a different kind of eating utensil. The food in the container was not the cold substance. It was not anything he had seen before. There was a yellow mound with green dots, and two long wavy brown rectangles. This was strange. The smell of the substance initiated a noise in his stomach that wasn’t as bad as the one from the previous day.

This Unit picked up the utensil, remembering the efficient grip style he had observed previously, and witnessed the Soldier scooping up the yellow and green the same way he had done with the other utensil. ‘Noctis’ however was not doing this, he was separating the green from the yellow.

“Iggy I don’t know why you insist on torturing yourself like this.” ‘Noctis’ said.

“You could at least try to model good behavior for the younger ones.” The Doctor replied.

“Here’s a good behavior for you:” ‘Noctis’ was addressing This Unit directly, “if you try something and you don’t like it, you don’t have to eat it.”

The Doctor simply sighed in response.

This Unit deferred to That Unit and watched him eat. He was eating the yellow and green together. Two out of three. So he would do that.

It was...different. There were competing textures and it didn’t taste bad or good, it just was. He was ready to try the brown substance but noticed the human boy was holding the same thing in his hands, not on the utensil. So he should do that.

It was hard to chew, and had a very powerful taste. It was good, but then it was bad, but then it was good again. 

The complexity of all of the different substances that he had consumed since leaving base made him feel dizzy and longing for the simplicity of the protein pack. He decided to simply finish what had been given to him and hoped this time it would not come back up.

“So, how were we planning on running this caravan?” That Unit asked no one in particular.

The Soldier responded. “Iggy’s driving the Regalia and I’m taking the truck. Figure you, Noct, and the kid can ride with Iggy, I’ll take Iris and Talcott.”

This Unit knew what a truck was but not a regalia. He hoped it was like the truck.

“Sounds like a solid plan.” ‘Noctis’ said. “You ever been in a car before?”

This Unit blinked. He did not know what a car was. Was that the same thing as a regalia? Were both of those things like the truck?

“We were in a truck.” This Unit said. He did not know why he said that. It didn’t answer the question.

“Ah, same thing.” ‘Noctis’ said. 

Oh. That was good. He liked the truck.  
\---  
He liked this truck. It was smaller than the last one but it had the same basic construction. This Unit felt like he knew what to do. He walked to the tuck and prepared to board the vehicle for transport.

“Uh, actually little guy, we’re riding in that one.” ‘Noctis’ said to him. He pointed at a different transport vehicle. That one did not have the same construction as the truck. This Unit felt...something negative. 

“You wanna ride in the truck though, don’t you?” That Unit asked him. That Unit looked pleased.

He's not supposed to want.

“Yes.”

“It does not seem very safe to allow a child to ride in the bed of a truck.” The Doctor said. He outranked That Unit. He felt negative again.

“Aah, don’t worry Iggy, I’ll ride with him. He’ll be fine.” That Unit said, and picked him up so he could more easily board the truck.

That Unit was defying the Doctor. Did he know the tall human was a Doctor?

“Very well, but don’t let him stand or walk about. And please drive carefully, Gladio.” The Doctor commanded.

“You worry too much, Iggy. Let the kid be a kid.” The Soldier also commanded.

“It is my job to worry too much.” The Doctor said, looking very proud.

“Aaaawwww...I wanna ride in the truck bed.” ‘Noctis’ said. This Unit thought that would be appropriate. They could protect ‘Noctis’ better if he were close by.

“Me too! Can I ride in the truck bed too?!” The human boy asked. This Unit hoped he could. He would also like to know the human boy was secure.

The Soldier slapped the Doctor on the shoulder. “Come on, let someone else handle chaperoning for once. Ride in the front with me, let the kids cram in the back. I’m sure this baby can handle it.” 

This Unit could not identify a baby anywhere.

That Unit sat down in a corner of the truck closest to the window, behind which the Doctor and the Soldier were sitting. This Unit was placed in front of That Unit. That Unit put his arms around This Unit. It felt like when ‘Mom’ had done the same.

The human boy sat in the other corner next to them. The human lady and ‘Noctis’ sat at the other end. Good, he could ensure their safety this way. The truck roared and began to move. The Soldier and the Doctor were talking behind the window. If he closed his eyes and focused he could hear what they were saying. But This Unit did not want to close his eyes. He had to watch ‘Noctis’. And he wanted to look at everything that was moving past them. It all kept changing. There was green, and then brown, and then a lot of black trailing behind them. He wanted this to be forever. He wasn't supposed to want.

He heard a clicking sound. That Unit had the black device again. He was looking into it. It was pointed at ‘Noctis’. ‘Noctis’ was asleep. That Unit laughed.

“Another candid of his royal laziness, perfectly preserved forever.” That Unit said.

Forever?

Oh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My nephew is almost 2 and is obsessed with the concept of trucks, and thus was I inspired


	11. Noctis Gets Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cor has a drink. Prompto takes a shot. Gladio calls out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies to everyone who was hoping for chocobo fun times now. This chapter runs parallel to the last one. But next one, oh boy the next one :3 In fact the next handful are going to be so much fluff

Noctis could not think of a single reason why it would ever be an issue that Prompto came from Niflheim. He wasn’t some sleeper agent or spy. He was a normal kid just like Noctis (arguably more normal than Noctis). He couldn’t grasp why the information was making his best friend break down like this. He’d never seen Prompto this way before. It made Noct feel helpless and awkward and angry. Prompto was always the first one to jump into someone else’s grief and help them out of it. Being on the other side felt so...wrong.

He could have grown up over there and been a Nif, but he wasn’t. He could’ve been a pin cushion for some sick fucks playing around with people’s lives, but he wasn’t. He was brought here. He grew up in Insomnia. He was a Crown City citizen. It didn’t happen, so it’s ok, and nothing was different. The rest they could handle. They could figure out where this place was and destroy it, and rescue all the other kids who were just like this one. Why was everyone acting like this changed literally anything at all?

He did what he could to reassure Prompto. He let him know they were still friends and nothing changed. That had to be enough, right? But it wasn’t. Prompto said he needed some fresh air. Noct offered to join him. The same way Prompto always sought out and joined him. That always made Noct feel better. 

He said he needed to be alone. It made something in Noct’s stomach feel tight, but he didn’t argue. 

Noct hated feeling helpless. It was too much like when he was a kid. He was the damn King now. There was no room for helplessness. Noct needed a solution and he needed it quick.

He could ask Ignis, but he was busy playing nursemaid to the sick kid. He could already guess what Gladio would tell him. ‘Figure it out.’ Noct knew Gladio only wanted him to be the best King he could be, and did everything he could to push him there, but his methods pissed him off nonetheless.

So Noct sat back down, angry about the general state of everything, and pulled out his phone.

‘How to help friend’...The search query autofilled to say ‘with depression’. No, that wasn’t right. Prompto was sad right now but he wasn’t sad all the time. He clicked ‘search’ anyway, feeling a strange compulsion to check. He scrolled past the multiple crisis hotlines and advertisements for natural remedies and clicked on ‘Signs Your Friend Might Have Depression.’

If your friend is experiencing the following, they may be depressed:  
Seems sad and tearful 

Obvious yes

Appears pessimistic or hopeless 

Well, yeah but

Gets upset or irritated easily 

He was kinda pissy yesterday

Eats more or less than usual 

He barely ate any breakfast

Shows less interest in spending time with others 

Fuck

He backtracked to the previous list of results and clicked on “15 Ways to Help a Depressed Friend.”

Listen to them, ask questions, and validate their feelings. 

Easy, he could totally do that.

Take care of yourself. Set boundaries and make sure you don’t burnout.

That was stupid, next.

Educate yourself about depression.

He was literally already doing that

Offer to help with everyday tasks. Be specific in what you’d like to do for them.

This didn’t feel relevant.

Be patient.

He was being immensely patient, why wasn’t this list giving him any concrete advice?

Don’t take things personally. They may say things they don’t mean.

Noct couldn’t imagine Prompto ever doing that. Maybe the list was wrong and he didn’t have depression after all.

Don’t try to ‘fix’ them. You can’t force them to be positive.

Okay, fine, that made sense.

Don’t give advice.

This list was bullshit. It wasn’t any help to them.

He backtracked again to the search bar and deleted ‘with depression’. Cor was back, wearing Gladio’s pants. Between that and the gift the kid had given him, Noct was almost ready to call it even with the Marshal. After a very curt exchange with the man, Noct took a second look at the suggested search terms.

How to help friend...with trauma

Fuck it.

‘Helping Others Who Have Experienced Trauma.’

‘Recognize that your friend has undergone a stressful event. Offer them time and space to process it on their own schedule. Offer emotional support, but understand that talking about such things can be stressful. Don’t force the conversation, be available when they need you.’

It was frustrating but Noct knew it was right. He wanted to fix this for his friend, but trying to force a fix would make everything worse.

‘Use rephrasing statements, like “You seem to really feel like…” or “It sounds like it was very painful that…” This can let your friend know you’re listening.’

Ok. Ok yeah. He could do that. Gladio’s phone rang.

‘Do enjoyable things with your friend. Engage them in hobbies they enjoyed before the trauma.’

“Wiz, you have no idea how timely this is. We’ll be there bright and early.”

Noct’s ears perked at the familiar name. 

“Wiz says that black chocobo egg we found has hatched. He’s invited us to come see her tomorrow.” Gladio was incredibly happy about this, and so was Noct. Absolutely perfect timing. Good job, baby chocobo! “Think the kid’s ever seen one before?”

“If he’s anything like Prompto, he’s gonna freak.” Noct felt genuine excitement. This was perfect. Prompto couldn’t get enough of the fat baby chocobos who lived on Wiz’s property, this was sure to put some life back into him. And the kid? What kid doesn’t love chocobos? Maybe they could all pet some chocobos and then everyone would feel better. It was a foolproof plan.

“I think that would be fantastic for him.” Ignis said. The kid made a quiet groaning sound and snuggled into Iggy’s shoulder.

“Can we go too!?” Talcott asked, trying to temper his obvious excitement.

“Don’t see why not, between the Regalia and that truck out front there’s more than enough room for everyone.” Gladio said.

“YE- um, thank you Sir!” Talcott made an adorable attempt at minding his royal protocol (and Noctis made a mental note to do away with the need for little kids to observe royal protocol).

The door opened, in walked Prompto. His face and eyes were still red but he seemed somewhat lighter. 

Noct practically jumped out of his chair and ran over to his friend, grabbing him by the shoulders. “Dude, you’re not gonna believe this.”

Prompto jumped back an inch at the sudden assault. “You know I think I’m prepared to believe anything right now…” He laughed. He laughed!

“The black chocobo egg hatched!” Noctis couldn’t tell what was exciting him more: the baby chocobo itself or the fact that he knew this was going to cheer him up.

“It hatched? Already?! And the baby…?”

“Wiz said she’s perfectly healthy, and we can come visit her tomorrow morning.” Gladio said.

Prompto started crying. Again.

“What the hell did you guys do, I just got him calmed down!” Cor was in the doorway, looking angry, as always. Noct felt a little incensed at his friend being talked about like a puppy.

Prompto turned to face Cor, wiping at his eyes. “Chocobos…” he squeaked.

“Chocobos?” Cor asked.

“Chocobos.” Noct confirmed.

Cor looked at Gladio. “Yes Sir, chocobos.” 

“Alright then. Chocobos.” Cor nodded at Ignis. “How’s he holding up?”

“Seeming much better. I believe the lad had a small case of ‘ate too much too quickly’. I cannot imagine his stomach was used to such rich food.” Noct felt a great deal of relief that Iggy had someone else to pull his mother hen routine on (especially someone who actually needed it).

“I think he’s out cold. I should get him to bed.” Iris offered, her arms outstretched to take the bundle from Ignis. 

“Much appreciated Iris. If anyone is hungry I can certainly whip an early supper together?” Ignis offered while passing the boy to her.

“There uh...any beer in that fridge?” Cor asked.

“Yes Sir, there is!” Gladio happily made to grab a bottle for the both of them. Noct wanted to make a comment about Gladio being a kiss ass, but he had more important things to attend to. He drug his feet over to one of the nicer plush chairs and collapsed into it. Instantly he wanted to fall asleep. The soft cushion and convenient positioning would have lent itself to an instant nap, but he resisted the call of sweet rest. Prompto was making his way to the chair next to him just as he’d hoped.

“Crazy day, huh?” Noct started.

“Yeah.” Prompto responded.

Then silence.

Come on Noct, just follow the websites’ advice. 

“You wanna...talk about it?” Noct asked.

Prompto shrugged his shoulders and shook his head simultaneously.

“Not really dude, kind of worn out from it all.”

Okay, try another one.

“It sounds like...you feel...overwhelmed.” 

Prompto laughed. “Yeah, thanks Captain Obvious!”

“Would you like to...talk more about...that?”

Prompto side eyed Noct. “Dude...are you okay?”

No! Noctis was NOT okay! He couldn’t tell if anything he was doing was helping or making things worse. He was King now, he was supposed to know what to do, how to handle these things. If he couldn’t even be there for his best friend how the hell was he going to lead an entire country!?

“Hey, wanna model for me some more? The sky is probably looking real nice right now, and I bet Luna would love to see some Lucian sunset shots!”

Welp. There he is. Mr. Prompto I Can’t Show My Vulnerability Because It’ll Upset Noctis Who Is Really Bad At Handling This Argentum.

Some best friend Noct turned out to be.

“Sure, you wanna head out now?” Despite feeling like a complete failure of a friend Noct was grateful for the excuse to get away from everyone else.

“Hell yeah, dude!”

“Gladio will come get you when dinner is done!” Ignis called to the two young men walking out the door.

“I will?”

\---

The sun was setting quickly, and Noctis felt immensely awkward. He had been holding the pose Prompto put him in for several minutes now, while the blonde was fiddling with dials and buttons on his camera.

“Dude...what’s taking so long?” Noct said through clenched teeth.

“Gotta compensate for the lighting! Almost there...alright, ready or not!”

The clicking came in rapid-fire succession like the camera in his hands was the gun he held in battle. Prompto was in his element again. He was issuing quick commands for Noct to put his arm there, move his torso towards there, smile. 

“No, smile. No, actually smile like you’re happy. Ok, pretend you just caught a fish the size of the Regalia. Perfect.”

The sun was now almost completely behind the horizon line, and Prompto seemed satisfied with his catch. He walked over to show Noct the best of the several dozen shots he’d taken. They really were fantastic. All of Prompto’s photos were fantastic. Sure, some of them looked awkward and there were conspicuously several close ups of everyone’s ass, but the fact that he took those while simultaneously putting a bullet right between a couerl’s eyes was impressive to say the least. 

Prompto could’ve gone to college for photography. He could’ve been a big name in the art world. He could have chased his hobby towards success and fame if he really wanted to. Instead he wanted to follow Noct, no matter where, and use his skill to take vacation shots of the four of them standing in front of landscapes.

Noctis would never forget that. He’d never forget this.

“You holding up?” He asked, not really knowing why.

Prompto nodded. “It’s just like...imagine you watched a movie. And it’s bad, like, a really bad movie. Not even funny bad, just bad. So you stop watching it because you don’t care how it ends. And then one day someone comes and tells you exactly how the movie ends, and also that there was a terrible sequel, and how that ends too. You know?”

No.

“Yeah…” Noct answered.

“Like, I totally didn’t care about that anymore! And now all I’m thinking about is that bad movie, and I’m angry because the ending was bad and didn’t make sense and they still somehow made enough money to make another equally terrible one! Anyway...that’s how it feels.”

Noctis sucked in some air between his teeth and said the only thing he could think to say.

“That sucks, bro.”

Prompto laughed. Noct laughed. They stood there and laughed way too hard for way too long.

“Yeah, it sucks. But it’s alright.” Prompto nodded, wiping tears from his eyes with a smile. “Cause like, there’s more movies coming out that are actually good. And we can watch those and forget all about the garbage.”

Stretching this metaphor a bit thin there.

“Yeah. Like Star Wars.”

“Well that’s...yeah, like Star Wars, dude.”

“Hey, if you two are done doing a shoot for Cat Fancy, dinner’s ready!” Gladio yelled from the front door.

“Thank Gods, I’m starving…” Noct said. 

“Race ya to the table, loser has to eat the winner’s vegetables!” Prompto took off, always the quickest of them.

“Hey, what, no fair!”

\---

Noctis was back in that chair, stomach full, struggling very hard not to pass right out. Iggy had outdone himself once again. Somehow he’d managed to scavenge through a freezer, pantry, and what they had in the camp cooler and thrown together a meal that would put the Citadel chefs to shame. 

And even though he accepted his fate as Prompto shoved the canned lima beans onto Noct’s plate, everything was still perfect. It felt like normal again. Everyone was chatting, laughing, throwing compliments at a way-too-modest Ignis. Even Cor, courtesy of three lagers and half a stout, had loosened up. 

Now from his chair he watched as Cor and Gladio were attempting to teach Prompto and Iris some convoluted card game popular in the military. The younger two were losing their shit laughing as the obviously inebriated Gladio and Cor were arguing over whether hearts or diamonds were worth more.

Noct closed his eyes, listening to the ridiculous bickering and laughs and felt incredibly relieved that things were once again falling back into place.

Noct woke up in the chair. Shit. How long was he out? The lights were dimmed, the table was empty and cleaned off. It was dead quiet. He looked around the area trying to see if anyone was still around. The only person still there was Cor, sitting in the chair Prompto was in earlier, face lit by his phone.

“Still here? Thought you had business to attend to?” Noct asked. 

“Mmm.” The Marshal responded. “I did. But I also don’t drink and drive, so I’ll be crashing here instead of out there tonight.”

Great. Noct supposed he should go upstairs and sleep in a bed like everyone else. But something was still nagging at him.

“Hey...if we’ve known for twenty or whatever years that the Empire was carrying out atrocities on little kids, why didn’t we stop it?”

Cor stiffened. Tapped his foot a few times. Sighed.

“Not for lack of trying, but the council has....had a lot more power than most people realized. And they stalled direct action at every corner. Hell, they were pissed I came back with anything in my hands, much less two kidnapped children. Your Dad...he wanted to do something. He really did. But the military were always stretched thin enough as is. And then that demon attack happened and Tenebrae and...That spy shit we pulled? Completely unapproved hijinks. Ask for forgiveness instead of permission, and all that. That cost us resources though. Which leads us to…” Cor took another swig from the IPA bottle in his hands. Noctis wondered how many beers deep he was.

“Well, now it’s just me. No council to get in the way. How do we stop it?” Noctis put on his best ‘I am King now please take me seriously’ voice.

Cor laughed. Then he grimaced, and tapped his foot again.

“Actually…there might be something you boys can do. But listen, and I mean this, it cannot interfere with you stocking up your arsenal.”

“Yeah, yeah. We’ve got two leads we’re getting set to pursue. How’s that for you?” Noct asked.

“I need to know who killed Delphi. And not just for personal ‘fuck you’ reasons. Whoever he was knew her, and wanted to keep their little kid processing plant a secret. Even with all this chaos going on. I need to know who so I can find out why he put a bullet in her. And then I’ll put two in his head.” 

Noctis could not remember another time in his life when he’d seen the Marshal looking so damned angry. And the guy had a permanent frown on his face!

“So what, get it out of the kid? Not sure he’s able to name names for us.”

“Don’t need a name. Just find out what he remembers, as much detail as possible. Was the guy tall, hair color, clothes, accent, anything you can. Spend some time with him, go pet chocobos or whatever, get him comfortable with being around normal decent folk and gently, gently! Get me that information. I’ll take it from there, and you get your ass to the next tomb. Understood?”

“Yeah. We can do that.”

Specifically, Prompto and Ignis could do that. Noct felt like trying to probe the kid for information would be a little too much on the morally questionable side, considering how the kid saw him. But if they could get him comfortable enough to trust them, then maybe he’d also be on a more stable path. The kid could get better, they could wreck the shit of everyone who ever hurt him or tried to hurt Prompto, they could destroy that awful place once and for all. This could work.

“Good. Don’t drag it out though, you still have a duty to fulfill, and an Oracle to rendezvous with.”

“Yeah, I know.”

\---

Noctis didn’t want to ride in the back of the truck so much as he wanted to stick near Prompto. But he put on the act nonetheless for the hell of it. The fact that everyone was able to cram into the truck together was a plus.

Prompto and the kid looked like a real big brother little brother duo. Noct remembered asking his Dad for a sibling back when he was much younger. Like they came from the sibling store. Not much longer after that though, he had Ignis. And then he had Luna. Maybe Dad did go to the sibling store. He wondered if Prompto ever wished he had siblings. That’d be pretty funny now.

Noct could feel himself falling asleep again. Might as well get some in while he could. He knew he’d be woken up easily once they got to Wiz’s with plenty of squealing. He heard Prompto clicking away. The engine rumbling. The wind drowning everything else out. As he drifted off he wondered if the kid would like to learn to fish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com/


	12. Prompto Gets a Souveneir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris reigns supreme. Wiz takes a guess. The kid gets a handful.

Prompto Argentum was elated. After 24 plus hours of stress induced anxiety meltdowns, they were pulling into the happiest place on Eos. A calm, serene, beautiful little corner of Duscae full of good food, good people, and oh yeah, the most amazing creatures ever to walk this star: chocobos! The friendly, loyal, soft, sweet smelling, cuddly feather balls that love nothing more than running around, getting pets, and big bundles of greens to munch on.

The very first time they’d pulled in post-Deadeye, the adorable creatures preening and squawking about, Prompto felt like there was nothing wrong anywhere and nothing would ever be wrong again. They had that effect on him. Even when riding into the thick of battle against demons ten times their size, being with his trusty bright green steed added that extra layer of calm he needed to get the job done. He could not wait to see this kid’s reaction to meeting one.

If there was something better than experiencing your favorite thing, it was introducing someone else to it.

Maybe the kid didn’t have the context, years of build up, or understanding for why this was about to be the best day of his little life. But Prompto knew all he would need was a handful of chocobo feed and a little patience, and everything would be just a little bit brighter for him.

The kid deserved it. They both deserved it.

And man, he was going to get some really, really cute photos out of it too.

The truck began to slow down and it was all Prompto could do to observe some basic common sense safety and not jump out of the still moving vehicle with the kid in tow. Even if it would be fun. The party of seven exited the vehicle and began the short walk from the road to the heart of perfection itself. Prompto was holding the kid’s hand, moving them both a bit faster than the rest. He could feel the tattered edges of that bandage on his wrist. They’d need to do something about that.

Those barcodes were something he was sure he could have asked Cor about and gotten an answer, but damnit he couldn’t. Didn’t really need to. He could guess what the purpose was. The people who ran that sick operation needed an efficient way to catalogue their subjects. Like they weren’t humans. Unworthy of names or identities or anything close to resembling dignity. Just products to use and dispose of.

Not anymore. Not them, at least.

“Hello again boys! You’re right on time, the little chick’s just woken up and ready for her breakfast!”

Yes yes yes yes, baby chocobo, brand new baby chocobo!

“Oh, and hello there. I don’t think we’ve met.” Wiz threw all of his attention to the kid, who immediately took refuge behind Prompto’s leg. 

“Ah, yeah, he’s a little bit shy.” Prompto explained. That was putting it mildly. 

“Well that’s no problem at all. He your brother?” Wiz asked.

Prompto should’ve seen this question coming. He suddenly realized the follow up question that would come next.

“Yup, kid’s my brother. Never seen a chocobo before either.” He hoped to steer the conversation away from the uncomfortable unknowns and on to the cuteness already.

“Kidd, huh? You city folks sure do love your naming conventions, I suppose.”

Prompto’s eyes went wide with the realization of what just occurred. The others had joined with them now, finished milling about at the wanted posters and tackle shop.

“Well little man, you’re in luck. Not every day we hatch a chick, especially not one as rare as this. If you all would like to follow me…” Wiz motioned towards the little wooden nesting area and led the way.

“Everything alright, Prompto?” Ignis asked, never one to let a small shift in someone’s face go unnoticed.

“Yep, just fine. Also, uh, little guy here has a name now. Just so you know…” The least creative, most incidental name anyone ever got.

“Did that just now happen?” Noct asked while sauntering up to walk beside them..

“Yeah...so I kinda accidentally named him Kidd…” Prompto mumbled.

“Kidd? ...Seriously?” Noct’s brow creased.

“Well, at least he won’t have too much adjusting to do.” Gladio smirked.

Noct leaned closer to Prompto. “Doesn’t Kidd mean-?”

“Goat. The name means goat, and was commonly used as a surname for goat herders in ancient times.” Ignis supplied.

Prompto felt like the worst big brother who ever lived, and he’d only been one for five minutes.

“Look Wiz assumed and like, I didn’t have anything else to correct him with so, it’s just while we’re here, right?” They could totally come up with something better later. Probably.

Iris laughed. “Right, I’m sure it won’t stick at all.”

“And here we are.” Ignis gestured to where Wiz was cooing and coaxing the little chick out of her warm straw bed.

“Oh look! There she is!” Talcott took Kidd’s other hand and pointed.

Prompto was filling up with excitement, trying hard not to explode.

“Well, here she is.” Wiz smiled back at their group as the little fluff ball hopped her way out to the open, waiting to be fed.

“Hey there! Nice to meet you.” Prompto gushed to the disinterested little bird.

“She’s adorable.” Ignis observed.

“Hard to believe she’ll end up growing so big.” Even Gladio was getting mushy on them.

“I’ve got some feed here, if the little ones want to give a go at getting her attention.” Wiz offered, gesturing to a basket by his feet.

“Yes! Yes yes, you’re gonna love this!” Prompto would be jealous if he wasn’t more excited about getting his camera ready to capture this perfect moment. Talcott guided Kidd a little closer to the chick and the two sat down together in the grass.

“Hatchlings need seed to get all their nutrition, but they love greens just as much as any full grown chocobo.” Wiz filled the boys’ hands with a small amount of mixed seeds.

Kidd looked confused, but Talcott was there as always to guide him.

“Just stay really still and quiet, and hold out your hand like this!” Talcott leaned forward a little, lowering his cupped hand closer to the ground to catch her attention. Kidd observed and followed.

“Yes, here we go!” Prompto got the camera to his face and prepared for an onslaught of precious moments fit to take up an entire scrapbook.

The little chick quirked her head, first to one side then the other. She hopped closer and, upon realizing the boys held her breakfast, went straight for Kidd’s hand first. He flinched, who wouldn’t? Those beaks looked powerful. But after realizing all she wanted were the seeds he relaxed and even raised his hand up for her to reach easier.

“Awe, looks like she really likes you.” Iris gushed. 

The chick then hopped over to Talcott for a second helping of seed. Wiz tapped Kidd on the shoulder and handed him a treat: a bundle of greens sure to make the baby bird love him even more.

The instant Talcott’s hand was empty she nearly flew over to Kidd again. She knew what he had and wanted it immediately. The bird cozily climbed into the little boy’s lap and pecked a handful of the vegetation. Kidd’s face was turning a light shade of red.

Talcott slowly scooted closer to him. “You can try and pet her now, like this.” He gently ran his hand down across her black feathers. “Now you do it!”

Prompto was practically shaking, he was sure he’d never get an opportunity like this again. If there was a ‘Cute Kids Being Cute with Chocobos’ magazine, he’d soon have enough photos to support a year’s worth of issues.

Kidd raised his empty hand and slowly mimicked the motion he was just shown. The chick squawked and shook her head, looking up at him in consideration. Then she pushed her head into his hand, asking to be pet exactly there. She took another beakful of greens from him and settled down, making herself very comfortable in her new warm nest. 

It was literally. The cutest thing. Prompto had ever seen. In his entire life.

Kidd continued petting her, even while his hand began to tremble.

A sniffle. A little sob. Oh man, the little guy was crying.

Prompto put the camera down and sat next to him.

“Yeah, they can have that effect on you.” He scratched the chick gently between her eyes. “You like her?” He asked.

Kidd looked up with tears in his eyes and nodded several times.

“You can come back and visit her as often as you want. And then one day you’ll both be big enough and you can learn how to ride!” And another scrapbook could be put together on that day.

The chick ruffled her feathers and snuggled down for a post-breakfast nap.

“Much as I hate to break this up, she does need to head back to her nest now.” Wiz gently interrupted.

Kidd looked up at Wiz, looked at the wooden shelter over the nest, and looked at her. Gears were turning in his head. He nodded again, and gently scooped up the chick, carefully stood, and walked her over to her bed. Prompto observed that no one had outright told him to do that, least of all himself. Kidd had just taken the initiative and completed a task because he wanted to do it.

Chocobos.

Fix.

Everything.

“Hey, while we’re here, wanna get a few races in?” Noct asked.

“You know it!” Prompto grinned, well aware he’d come in last place every time, and love every minute of it.

“Think you can beat my record?” Iris asked, somehow the best chocobo rider of all of them.

“This time? For sure.” Noct retorted.

Kidd was walking back to the group, the remainder of greens still clenched in his fist. As he stopped a few feet from them he lifted his fist and studied the greens for a moment.

Somehow, Prompto knew exactly what was going to happen next.

Ignis seemed to know too, as he made a sound and took a step forward.

Kidd shoved the chocobo feed into his own mouth.

“That...cannot possibly taste good.” Gladio said.

“Hey, uh, that’s not really...people food.” Prompto tried to gently remove the grass from the child’s mouth.

Wiz found this to be hilarious. “If I had a gil for every time this happened…”

Kidd continued to chew what he had remaining, and swallowed it.

“Though usually the little ones spit it out instead.” Wiz was no longer laughing.

“I doubt it’s dangerous for him, but that cannot possibly sit well in his stomach.” Ignis frowned.

“Yeah..he’s.probably gonna get sick again.” Iris said.

Noctis got right next to Prompto and whispered in his ear, “Looks like he got the right name after all.”

\---

Luckily, Kidd was able to keep the grass down throughout the day. With a little coaching, he’d managed to eat a sandwich he shared with Talcott and kept that in his stomach as well. In between races with his friends, Prompto managed to get even more photos of the two little boys having the best day ever. 

One of the best photos he caught involved Kidd and Talcott sitting on Prompto’s favored chocobo, Birdie, a stunning shade of bright green. He named her after a green stuffed chocobo plush he had as a kid. He couldn’t remember where it eventually ended up (he never would have tossed it of his own accord) but as long as he could remember it had years of love that showed in every rip and stain that covered it.

Birdie had just finished her third race of the afternoon, plenty tired out, and was lazily pecking at the ground. She hardly reacted when the two boys were hoisted onto her saddle. Prompto had to coax her into lifting her head to get a good shot for the camera. Birdie herself seemed to have become quite comfortable with modeling over the past few months, and now took very little maneuvering to show off her true photogenic self.

Click.

Kidd’s eyes were wide, rubbing his hand over the feathers on her long neck. She turned her head to inspect her little cargo.

Click.

She reached back enough to preen at Kidd’s hair, lifting a few strands up in her beak. Talcott was a ball of laughter as he reached to pet her too.

Click.

“She probably smells the greens on you!” Talcott said, a smile practically taking up half his face.

Click.

Kidd looked up at her in awe, and copied Talcott, rubbing his hand on her beak.

Click.

Kidd smiled.

Click.

Wait.

CLICKCLICKCLICKCLICKCLICK

He was freaking smiling! It was small, and shy, and he probably hadn’t even realized he was doing it. But the little guy was smiling, and looking happy, and Prompto felt like he could cry at the sight.

Birdie realized there were no treats to be had in the blonde hair and turned back to her dirt, no longer tolerating the photographer’s requests. 

“Hey Prompto, can we go to the souvenir shop?” Talcott asked as an attendant was helping the two back down.

“Sure thing, little dude.” Prompto said, offering his hand out to Kidd who simply took it. No hesitation, no waiting to be told to. 

Prompto could not even begin to imagine what he’d been through, and frankly knowing what he did know he didn’t really want to. Cor had held back on the worst of the details at Prompto’s request. Maybe that had been a mistake, the human mind had a way of filling in the blank spaces with the worst possibilities imaginable. The Imperials had a lot more time to do whatever sick shit they were doing with Kidd then they ever had with him.

He suddenly felt incredibly selfish. If he knew fully what they were doing, what’d been done to him, maybe they could help him better. Maybe if he knew what the link was, the very obvious familial link, between the two of them there could be answers. There could be a way forward for both of them. Without truly understanding what it was lingering behind them, it was going to be a lot harder to build a stable future.

But Prompto would try, where he could, regardless.

The souvenir shop had a surprising amount of new black chocobo merch (considering they had only found that egg like, a week ago?). Wiz didn’t mess around it seemed. First order of business: Kidd needed a stuffed chocobo. Prompto’s had been there for him through endless nights of loneliness and tears. If anything could help nudge things along a path of comfort and recovery, surely it would be a soft huggable fluff ball with optional squeaker inside

Prompto guided Kidd and Talcott over to the expansive wall of chocobo plushies. They came in every color (some you couldn’t even dye a real chocobo in) and a large variety of sizes. As far as he was concerned, these two could have any one they wanted. 

“Alright Kidd, go ahead and pick one out! Whichever you want to take home with you.” Kidd understandably looked confused again, so Prompto gave him a hand. He picked him up so Kidd could get a better view of all that Wiz’s plush selection had to offer. He watched as the boy’s eyes scanned over the rows of merchandise, and finally settled on exactly what Prompto thought he’d want. 

A rather small black chocobo doll, shiny, new, and ready to be loved in to tattered pieces. 

“Awe, you like that one? Cause it looks like the chick out there?” He asked. Kidd hesitated, then slowly nodded. “Alright then, she’s all yours.” Prompto stood up on his toes to grab the doll off the shelf before handing it to him. He took it, looking like he fully expected it to be taken right back.

No way little guy, no one is ever taking that from you.

“You too Talcott, which one do you want?” Talcott seemed somewhat disinterested in the chocobo toys, and had instead wandered over to a small display case. Inside were little hand carved wooden statues of a creature Prompto was far more familiar with then he’d ever wanted to be.

“Cactuars, huh?” Noctis asked, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

Talcott looked back up at them with a beaming smile. “I LOVE cactuars!” He cheered. “Aren’t they just the coolest?!”

Sure kid, if you weren’t on the receiving end of their spiny needles flying right at your eyeballs, they were very neat.

“I’m trying to collect all the cactuar figurines, but this one’s a little bit more gil than I have right now…”

Prompto looked at the price tag, then Talcott’s longing little face, and then at Noct. Both young men seemingly had the same thought: fuck it. A week of cup noodle dinners was more than worth it.

“Say no more, we got you covered.” Noct grinned.

“Really Prince Noctis?! Oh, thank you!” Talcott was practically hopping in place from excitement. 

“Getting our goat boy a souvenir of his big day?” Noct asked, poking at the doll currently squished very close to Kidd’s chest.

“Dude, don’t call him that.” Prompto frowned, feeling embarrassed at the reminder. The bandage on Kidd’s wrist grabbed his attention again. “Oh yeah, we could probably find something better to cover that up here…” He said.

“So...you did know about that?” Noct asked.

Prompto felt like ice water had just been dumped in his stomach. He forced his gaze over to a rack offering little fabric wristbands, much like the green and white one he’d worn as a kid.

“Look…” Prompto started.

“It’s alright, I guess I just don’t get why you thought you had to keep it from us…” Noct awkwardly explained. 

“It’s like, it was just kinda freaky, y’know? Seeing it on someone else for the first time.” Prompto surveyed the selection, trying to find one that would be small enough for his little wrist but wide enough to cover the ink.

“Wait, what do you mean, on someone else?” Noct asked.

“Dude...for real? Keep up here.” Prompto raised his right arm, emphasizing the leather cuff gripping his wrist with a nod of his head.

“You have...but, hold on…” Noct’s face was going on a journey of emotions. It was obviously the first time he had ever realized Prompto had successfully kept that wrist covered up the entire time they’d known each other. He’d slept, swam, and went to school every day with something on that wrist. Prompto pushed the cuff down just a peak, letting Noctis see the very beginnings of a trail of numbers separated by black bars, before quickly maneuvering it back into place. Noct reacted with a sharp inhale of breath.

“I had...no idea.” He said.

“Yeah dude, that was kind of the point.” Prompto picked up a cardboard square holding a yellow cuff on it. A little black chocobo was stitched into the center. 

“I’m sorry. That you felt like you needed to hide part of yourself.”

Prompto wished the mood hadn’t turned this way, things were going so well before right this moment.

“It’s not...it was my parents, you know? They kinda beat it into my head that I had to hide it. Not literally, they didn’t actually beat me. But yeah. I guess now I understand how unsettling it is to see a little kid all tattooed and stuff. What kind of assumptions you’d make about them and their parents. I don’t really blame them for that.”

“Yeah, but still. You could’ve told me. I don’t want you to feel like you can’t talk about the bad stuff.” Noct’s insistence on being the best most caring friend ever was being very inconvenient right now.

“It’s hard. When you grow up thinking part of you is weird, something to be ashamed of. It’s hard to believe you can share that and not be...you know...abandoned for it. But I get it now. Thanks Noct. As always.” Prompto smiled and nodded. This was getting easier. It sucked. But it was easier. “Unfortunately now it’s time to be a huge hypocrite and buy something to help hide this one’s industrial skin art.”

“Think it might be a little different when there’s someone out there actively hunting him…” Noct said.

“True.” Prompto agreed. He could help protect him without giving him a complex about it. Gods knew Kidd had enough of them already.

“One more thing.” Noct said as they stepped into the checkout line. “So Cor kinda gave me a mission…”

“You mean besides claiming your birthright and saving the world?” Prompto cracked a crooked smile.

“Yeah. Well...he kinda wants us to find out who killed his agent.” Noct said, almost whispering.

It made sense. It was unfortunate and distressing and meant putting Kidd through even more bullshit, but they needed to know. If someone was chasing him down, they wouldn’t stop there. And they very well couldn’t get on with their greater mission knowing whoever he was could descend on Cape Caem at any moment.

“Lemme guess, you want me to do it?” Prompto asked.

“Maybe? I don’t know. He trusts you. Cor said he didn’t need a name, just a basic description could work. I’m not sure how else to coax that information out without repeating the old man’s mistake. Not really looking to get grass stains on my pants.”

Prompto nodded. “We’ll figure it out. Later.”

“Yeah, way later.” 

\---

“And the racer with the best time continues to be yours truly!” Iris exclaimed, taking a bow.

“Yeah yeah, but one day that title is gonna be mine.” Noct muttered.

“Good luck, when an Amicitia has their mind set on perfection, no one can surpass them.” Gladio smirked at his little sister. The two fist bumped each other.

Prompto looked down at Kidd, holding his hand with the right and squeezing his new stuffed buddy with the left, as they made their way back to the truck. The yellow wrist cuff was a definite improvement over the fabric bandage. Anyone on the outside who looked at him would assume he was just a normal, albeit very shy, little boy.

“You hold on tight to her.” Prompto said as he lifted Kidd into the truck bed, following close behind. Everyone crammed into the places they had earlier that day. The sun would be setting soon, and they needed to get back to the safety of the cabin before night overtook the world.

“You should pick a name for her.” Iris suggested to Kidd.

“Yeah, and come up with something better than goat.” Noct joked while settling into an optimal nap position.

Kidd held the black chocobo out in front of him, studying it for a bit.

“Goat.” He finally said. He looked at Prompto, holding the plush toy up. “Goat.”

“Guess that works too.” Noct said.

Prompto cringed, putting a hand over his face, hearing the laughter from the others in the truck bed. He looked down at Kidd, holding his Goat, smiling again.

“Yeah, good name.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com/


	13. Gladio Gets a Gun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kid takes aim. Iris reflects. Noct goes to jail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so overwhelmed by everyone who's enjoying this, thank you so much!!! I get so hyped up every time one of y'all leaves a comment <3 This has turned into something way bigger than what I first imagined and I cannot wait to get to the ending :3

“Alright then, let’s see what you’re capable of.” Gladio said to Kidd. He put a hand out, palm flat facing the child. “Punch me, right here.” He pointed at the middle of his hand.

Kidd hesitated, as Gladio expected he would, before making a fist and flinging it at him. It hit, harder than any normal six year old’s fist would, but still felt like nothing.

“You holding back on me?” Gladio asked. Kidd cast his eyes to the ground, saying nothing. “Come on. One more, and this time, do it like you mean it.”

Kidd nodded. He balled up his fist, pulled his arm back, waited, exhaled, and punched. Hard. Not hard enough to hurt much at all, but still enough to make Gladio instinctively shake his wrist out.

“Alright, that’s what I’m talking about. You know how to protect yourself?” He asked. Gladio had assumed Kidd had some elementary combat training. Maybe he was being set up to be a sort of Imperial super soldier, or a spy. That stance he pulled a couple of days ago spoke volumes. Yet, Kidd shook his head.

“Offense only then?” He asked. Kidd nodded. Gladio tried not to dwell on the implications. “Weapons training?” Kidd nodded again. Gladio felt a bit sick. “What kind?”

Kidd frowned, and looked around them. They were outside, just a bit from the cabin. Enough to be alone. Gladio had a feeling that the others wouldn’t much approve of what he had in mind. If this kid had already been groomed in violence, he may as well relearn how to use it to protect himself. Kidd found a long stick and picked it up, holding it in a familiar position, the backend resting against his shoulder and the front ahead of his squinted eyes.

“Sniper rifle.” Of course. Send a cute, unassuming little kid into enemy territory. Infiltrate, set up, and start blasting heads. It was genius, and sick, even for the Empire. But maybe they could turn this around. 

“Yes.” Kidd answered. Every verbal reply was a small step towards trust, as far as Gladio was concerned. One tiny step at a time.

“You any good with it?” Gladio asked, crouching down to speak on his level.

Kidd considered the question for a moment. ”This Unit is of adequate skill relative to rank.”

Six year olds should not talk like that. 

“Let’s see then.” Gladio reached into the armiger, feeling around for something unfamiliar in his hands. And there, a pistol materialized in his grip. This particular one was favored by Noct more so than Prompto. Neither would miss it for five minutes. “Probably not what you’re used to but it’ll do for now.” Gladio walked over to the recycling bin and picked out the empty glass bottles leftover from his and the Marshal’s evening of unwinding. He placed six of them on a log and brought the gun back over to where Kidd was standing.

“The Imps teach you trigger discipline?” He asked. Kidd shook his head. “It means you don’t put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.” Gladio kneeled down behind the kid, placing the pistol in his tiny hands and maneuvering it into something resembling a safe grip. “Forget whatever they taught you. Aim only at the bottles. Never aim at anything unless you intend to shoot. And never shoot at a living thing unless you intend to kill.” Kidd looked back at him and nodded. “Alright, shoot those bottles and show me what you’ve got.”

Handing a loaded weapon over to a trained member of the enemy and letting him go freely at it was quite possibly the dumbest thing Gladio had ever thought of doing. There was an immense amount of trust that, despite the brainwashing and indoctrination, Kidd was still a kid and wouldn’t go Terminator on everyone there.

Kidd raised the pistol, adjusted it to aim at the first bottle in the row, and pulled the trigger, landing his shot. Then another. Then another. Six shots. Six bullets. Six broken bottles. Kidd removed his finger from the trigger and lowered the pistol to the ground before looking back at Gladio for further instruction.

“Nice,” he clapped the child on the shoulder, “good job.” Kidd’s face turned red. It was a bit eery how similar this experience was to the first time he’d coached Prompto on handling a firearm. “They teach you to use any other weapons?”

Kidd looked over towards the overflowing pile of firewood and pointed at the axe Gladio had left leaning against it. 

“Axes?” He asked. Kidd nodded. That...was weirder. Certainly a well rounded soldier should be fluent in both close range melee abilities as well as long range. But training a tiny child to wield an axe as a weapon seemed...silly. Downright ridiculous.

“Alright then.” He walked over to the wood pile with Kidd, placed a log on top of the chopping stump, and handed him the axe. “Show me what they taught you.”

Kidd nodded. He lifted the axe like it didn’t weigh anything. He took aim, reached back, and swung the blade at the log perpendicular. It was a good hit, with plenty of controlled force behind it. Were it a sharper blade he might have split the log in half. Instead it stuck to the wood, making Kidd look confused and upset.

“Don’t worry, it’s the blade, not you. But that form does leave something to be desired.” He gently took the axe from him. “Anything else?”

Kidd shook his head. So that was all they were dealing with.

“Alright. Can’t say I like having a child running around with a gun in his hands. But maybe we can work with something a little more appropriate.” Something that could combine his aiming skills with his controlled strength. Something a bit more kid-friendly but nonetheless effective for their purposes.

By the time lunch was over, Gladio was finished. A perfectly shaped stick, with a rubber string attaching a leather rectangle tied to it. In other words, a slingshot, straight out of a newspaper comic strip.

“Here’s how it works. Pick a rock, like this one.” Gladio held up a smooth round stone he'd found right then on the ground. “You put it in the saddle like this, pull the string back and…” Gladio took aim and let go, the rock landing on the bottle he’d set up before. “Not as lethal, but it’ll cause a distraction or a little pain in a pinch. Maybe take out an eye.” He handed the slingshot over to Kidd. “Now you try.”

He did. He picked up the first pebble he saw, drew the string back, and let it loose. It whiffed past the second bottle. Kidd’s eyes went wide, and he looked like he might panic.

“Nice try, keep practicing and you’ll be the neighborhood menace in no time.” Gladio ruffled the child’s hair. Kidd still looked at him with trepidation, like he was expecting to be yelled at, or worse. “I don’t know how they handled failure over there, but here, it’s a chance to learn. Motivation to improve should come from inside yourself, not from outside threats.” He took Kidd’s hand and helped adjust his positioning. “Aiming with this isn’t the same as aiming with a gun. You’ll have to work against what you’ve been taught, and that takes time and practice. The only thing you should feel bad about is giving up.”

Kidd studied the slingshot for a moment, and took the initiative to find another rock. He aimed and let it fly, missing again. Gladio could hear his breath shudder.

“Try again.” He commanded gently.

He missed. And missed. Until finally, he hit the bottle.

“See? Perseverance. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of that in you.” Gladio gave Kidd another pat on the shoulder. “Keep that burning in you the rest of your life. It’ll take you further than you know.” Gladio gave him an encouraging smile. 

Kidd looked intensely serious, which felt comical on a child his age. “Okay.” He finally said.

When Gladiolus was just a small child, probably the exact same age as this kid, he had already accepted his fate in life. One day, he would pick up a shield. And that would define his entire identity until the day he died. If he did his job right, that day would be very far off indeed. But if he faltered, even for an instant, and his duty laid broken at his feet, that day would come predictably soon after.

A shield was nothing without something to protect behind it. The Shield of the King was nothing without his charge. Gladio was nothing without Noctis. He’d never be anything without Noct. That was made abundantly clear before he’d even met the prince. Even if Gladiolus did everything right, stayed true to his vow and held his shield high every moment of his life, one freak accident or one moment of Noctis stepping out of line would end it all. Gladio’s duty, meaning, purpose, reason to be alive, would end. And as had happened to so many of his ancestors, so soon would he.

When Gladio heard that King Regis was dead, he didn’t need to ask if Clarus was dead too. He knew. His old man would never leave his King’s side, regardless of who went first. And now that mantle was sitting on his shoulders. And the very same would be expected from him. If Noctis fell, Gladio had better go down fighting whoever killed him. This was his duty and calling, the fate bestowed upon him the moment he entered this world.

He took pride in his duty, his family line, the hundreds of ancestral Shields who came before him and served their purposes at the side of the Lucis Caelum monarchy. There was no other choice. There was never another choice. So why bother fighting it, when you could instead embrace the inevitable and be the best possible incarnation of your fate?

Seeing Kidd, imagining what he was fated for, the purpose he was born to fulfill, made Gladio doubt. Only for a moment. If he felt so sickened at the morbid expectations put upon this kid, then why was what he went through any different? Why was it okay to tell a little boy he was expected to live and die by a man still yet a baby, give his life to serving this stranger who would rule not by merit but by blood? Why was it acceptable to tell that child he would have no worth outside of the sword and shield he would someday hold?

Sometimes Gladiolus wondered if his enthusiastic acceptance of his role was a means of coping with his Father doing the same. If it was inevitable, if it was demanded of them, then it was a little bit easier to accept every moment Clarus hadn’t been there. He knew the man loved his children, and only wanted what was best for them. But that best carried a price tag, one that Gladio was expected to pay as well.

Why was he so able to feel angry for what this kid went through, for every tiny bit of deviation from a normal childhood he’d been forced to take, when Gladio could see so much of that in his own past? 

Had Gladio been given the choice, he’d still be here today. He’d still have spent years of his life training, fighting, practicing, honing his body and mind to be what he was now. He’d still be by Noct’s side every step of this journey. He couldn’t imagine much of anything would be different, except that it would’ve been his choice.

Maybe that would have made all the difference.

“Hey, question for you. What do you want?” Gladio asked. Kidd looked at him strangely. This was probably the first time in his life he’d ever been asked to consider the question. “Out of everything and anything. No limits. Doesn’t matter how impossible it might be. And you won’t be in trouble no matter what you say. What do you want?”

Kidd frowned. Maybe he was too young for this. Maybe he was too fucked up for this. Maybe despite his apparent maturity this was hard, and his skewed understanding of the world around him would make this question impossible to answer.

“This Unit…” Kidd started. He hesitated again. 

“Hey, try this instead. Try saying ‘I want’.” Gladio offered.

“I want.”

“Good. Now use that to say what you want.”

“I want...to be here. I want cold stuff. I want Goat.” He listed off. 

So he wants to be safe, he wants ice cream, and he wants his stuffed toy. Pretty basic stuff for a child.

“I want Mom.” He said quietly.

Gladio sighed. “Yeah. I get that.” He got it all too well. He wasn’t much older than Kidd when he’d lost his own mother. Finding out she’d passed had been traumatizing enough. He couldn’t imagine actually having to watch her die, not able to do anything.

“I want to hurt him.” Kidd said.

“The man that killed her?” Gladio really didn’t have to ask. He knew what Kidd meant, but he wanted him to know he understood.

Kidd nodded.

“So do we, Kidd.” Gladio said. We want to hurt the guy who thought he could get away with fucking up some helpless little kids. We want to stop him. We want him to pay for whatever he’d done to you and countless other children. “If you ever see him, you’ll tell us right?”

“Yes.” He answered immediately.

“Yeah, kinda figured you would.” Gladio sat down in the dirt, leaning on his hands and looking up at the sky. “You gotta leave that stuff to us though, alright? You’re too young to be getting yourself caught up in revenge. Protect yourself, defend what you want, but don’t go seeking this shit out. You’re still young. You’ve got a chance here to scrape together something resembling a normal life. You go running out for vengeance, you’re gonna end up exactly where they wanted you.”

Gladio sat back up, resting his arms on his crossed legs. “So, did you understand any of what I just said?” He smirked. That speech had obviously been more for his sake than Kidd’s. He desperately wanted this little child to have what had been denied to him, Noct, Ignis, hell now Prompto too. Even Iris and Talcott weren’t allowed to simply grow up and exist, the pressure of their bloodlines or duty always hanging over their heads. But this guy had a chance. He could be anything and everything more than what was decided for him years ago.

Kidd nodded. “This-...I...won’t go seeking out this shit.”

Oops.

“Yeah, so, try saying it more like, ‘I won’t go looking for a fight’. Does that make sense?” Gladio asked, trying to save some face.

“I won’t go looking for a fight.” Kidd replied.

“Alright. Not sure if you get what you just said, but keep thinking it and you’ll understand eventually.” And that would have to be good enough for now. “In the meantime, if you remember anything about that man that can help us find him, tell us. You can trust us. We’ll make sure he never lays a single hand on you again.”

Silence filled the space between them for a while, until Kidd said: “Okay.”

\---

Later that evening, Talcott had procured an ancient board game covered in dust and had set it out on the floor. It seemed incredibly simple, made for very young children to comprehend and feel good about it. It was bright and colorful, with large squares one would navigate their tiny meeple through to get from start to finish. There was no choking hazard dice or complicated instructions. Just draw a card from the deck and do what it says, whether that meant going forward three spaces, going back two, or skipping your turn altogether.

It was so simplistic Gladio had to wonder what it had any business doing here. There was no strategy involved, it was pure chance. Everyone was on an equal, unfair ground. This game would have pissed off any sober adult. 

And that was why it was being played by two little children, a drunk prince, and a young man who only had two sips of his fruit juice with a splash of rum, but may as well be in the small child group anyway.

Gladio would not miss this for anything.

“Okay I gotta...I got...the cotton candy kingdom is attacking?! You cannot move freely. Skip this turn.” Noct whined. “Oh my Gods, Gladio, my kingdom is being attacked by cotton candy people!”

“Is that what we’re calling the Nifs now?” Gladio asked.

Noct and Prompto groaned.

“What, too soon?”

“My turn!” Talcott said, grabbing the next card. “You’ve won the favor of the Bubblegum Princess. Float in a safe bubble three spaces ahead.” Talcott moved his meeple accordingly and continued his lead ahead of the rest.

“Why do you get the princess’ favor?! I’M the prince!” Noct said in an exaggerated whine.

“Maybe Bubblegum Princesses don’t like babies.” Gladio said, further antagonizing the inebriated monarch.

“Ok, your turn! Just like last time.” Talcott said to Kidd. The younger boy carefully took the card at the top of the deck and studied the content carefully.

“Need help?” Prompto asked.

“Let him sound it out, he’s got this.” Gladio scolded. It was apparent that Kidd’s reading level was completely all over the place, unable to make out words a child his age should know while understanding highly specific complex words no child should ever have to know. Dog, ball, and skip were foreign to him, while artillery, ammunition, and repercussions were easy to read. 

A board game for babies was the perfect opportunity to correct that.

“The...gum...drop…fah-ee-rye...” Kidd frowned. 

“Yeah, that one’s a little complicated. The ‘f-a-i’ part makes a sound like ‘fae’. Then the r and y sound like ‘ree’.” Gladio pointed at each section of the word. Kidd had no reason to know what a fairy was, least of all how to spell it.

“The gum...drop...fae-ree...has...gifted you super speed. Move...forward five spaces.” The other four were hanging on his every word, and simultaneously cheered when he completed the sentence.

“You did it goat man! You got it!” Noct yelled a little too loud.

Kidd stared at the game board, face turning red. It was apparent he was not used to the concept of positive reinforcement. He took his little yellow meeple and moved it forward as directed by the Gumdrop Fairy, landing on the same space as Talcott’s blue piece.

“Oh wow, you guys are tied! Doubt we’ll be catching up before one of you wins!” Prompto said while drawing his next card.

“Ugh, it’s not fair…” Noct leaned back dramatically.

Prompto laughed. “Yeah, how terrible, the kids might win the game made for kids! Now let’s see, Mean Mr. Mint is mad and blows you back two spaces.”

“This game is rigged.” Noct said, drawing another card.

“Quit crying, you’re setting a bad example.” Gladio commanded. 

“Oh shut it, I’m a great example. Here, Kidd, here, practice. Practice and read this for me.” Noct handed his card to the child sitting across from him.

Kidd took the card and concentrated.

“You have upset the Candy Cane King. You must go to...jail. Skip this turn.”

Noct started laughing incredibly hard. “This game sucks, you guys...I bet you wish you were the Candy Cane King’s Shield, huh? I bet he never disappoints his Candy Cane Dad.”

“Apparently I’m missing the best show in the house up here.” Iris said as she walked through the door.

“Your brother has abandoned me in service of the Candy Cane King.” Noct whined.

“Has he now?” She asked while crossing the room to sit next to the accused.

“The prospect looks better and better every time he opens his mouth.” Gladio smirked.

“You guys having fun?” She asked. Prompto and Talcott replied positively. Kidd, predictably, did not answer. Noct groaned. “Alright, you can finish this game and then it’s bedtime.”

“Okay Miss Iris!” Talcott said before turning back to the game.

“You’re really taking to this responsible big sister role, aren’t you?” Gladio prodded her in the arm with his elbow.

“Yeah, it helps that they’re both incredibly cute. I just wanna mother them, you know?”

Gladio chuckled. “No, I really don’t. You sure you’re handling this alright? I mean, you know Talcott like the back of your hand, but two of em...you’re not taking on too much right?”

“You’re one to talk! I can handle the responsibility just fine. As it turns out, I’m a great babysitter, and nanny, mechanic, landscaper, and kindergarten teacher.” She said proudly.

“Sounds like you’re learning a lot about yourself.”

“You have no idea. These past few weeks have been...eye opening. I never really knew what I wanted before. I just accepted I’d have to be what the second born always is. Manage the estate, handle the financials, host snobby politicians from all over the place. But I never liked any of it. I never wanted to be that. But out here, growing our own food in the dirt, looking out for the people who need me, figuring out how to handle pests and fix an air conditioner? It’s...the best I’ve felt in a long time.”

Gladio nodded. Iris continued.

“Sometimes I feel selfish. Like, if everything hadn’t happened, I never could have had this. I wish...I wish it didn’t take the destruction of everything we had to find what made me happy.”

Gladio, in spite of himself, felt like he was choking up. He put an arm around his little sister and sighed.

“You know I could have told you a long time ago you were the happiest when you had your hands in the dirt.”

The two laughed, the game happening on the floor loudly drowning out the sound. Iris wiped a small tear forming in her eye.

“I wish Dad could have been here with us.” She whispered.

That would have meant abandoning his duty. In order for Clarus to have been here, now, with his children, he would have had to turn his back on his King and subsequently everything he’d ever stood for. Everything he’d taught Gladio to stand for. He would’ve had to spit in the face of thousands of years of their family line to be alive, and safe.

“Yeah.” Gladio said. “Me too.”

“You DID IT!” Talcott suddenly jumped to his feet.

“Yes, way to go!” Prompto ruffled the hair of the very alarmed looking Kidd.

“Man, I can’t even be mad, he deserves to win after reading all of those cards.” Noct conceded. 

“Nice work, Kidd.” Gladio added to the self-esteem boost session.

Kidd looked up at him, and back down to the winning card, which included a very happy looking licorice man wearing a top hat.

“Alright, let’s clean up this mess, and then it’s time for bed.” Iris said.

Talcott kneeled down to give Kidd a strong celebratory hug before showing him how to put the pieces away.

“Huh, would you look at that.” Gladio said quietly to himself.

The damn kid was smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to me about FFXV, headcanons, prompts, or just anything! https://bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com/


	14. Ignis Gets Some Cheese

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The doctor leaves a trail. Noctis lends a hand. Gladio cracks a pun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter index was acting wonky, but it looks like I managed to fix it? Thank you everyone for your nice comments, y'all are seriously the best :3

“Now then, allow me to explain.” Ignis said to the child sitting across from him at the table. “These are all different things one can eat. Some of them you may like, some you might not. I’d like you to try each, one at a time, and tell me if it tastes good or bad.”

Kidd looked at him for a few moments and, upon realizing he was being given a task, nodded his head.

“There are no wrong answers, remember.” Ignis picked up a small slice of apple with a fork and handed it to Kidd. “Let’s start here. This is an apple. It’s a fruit that grows from trees.” And it’s a good source of fiber, vitamins, and hydration. He chewed it a bit before swallowing and nodded his head.

“Excellent.” Ignis made a note in his ledger. “If you don’t mind,” he held his hand out for Kidd to hand him the fork back. He complied. Ignis speared another piece of produce. “This one is called broccoli. It’s a vegetable that grows in the ground.” And cannot possibly taste worse than grass. Again Kidd took the offering, chewed, swallowed, and nodded.

“I don’t think he understands the rules, Iggs.” Noct mumbled from behind him.

“Noct, I will not have you compromising this assessment with your own bias.” Ignis warned.

“Did you actually like the broccoli? You can say it was bad. No one is making you like it.” Noct continued.

“It’s good...” Kidd whispered.

“You see? Some people actually like what’s good for their growing bodies. Now please be silent or see yourself out.” Ignis commanded as he carried on with the taste test. “This is called a grape. Another fruit.”

Kidd went through the motions without hesitating, but instead of nodding his head he scrunched his face and seemed to struggle to swallow it.

“A bit too sour, I suppose.” Ignis noted.

“Why don’t you let him try something kids actually like eating. Hey Kidd, tell him you wanna try mac and cheese.” Noct smirked.

Kidd’s head snapped forward. “Mac and cheese?” He asked.

Ignis and Noct were both left a little stunned at his response.

“Mom gave thi-...Mom gave me mac and cheese. It was warm. I liked it.”

Ignis felt something grip his heart.

“See! Kidd already knows what he likes. You want mac and cheese for dinner?” Noct asked, failing to check with Ignis if he had plans already. Kidd nodded, looking a bit...hopeful? He looked hopeful.

How the bloody hell could Ignis say no to that?

“Alright…” He adjusted his glasses while thinking. “If we want a proper cheese that can melt and has an acceptable flavor, I’ll have to try the Lestallum market. It is early enough I can certainly make it there and back before dinner, with time to spare.”

“Dude, just make the stuff in the blue box you can get at the gas station.” Noct offered.

“No.” 

“Well, if you’re going all the way out to Lestallum anyway, I’ll come with. I’ve been wanting to check on Holly, make sure she’s still holding up.”

“I’m afraid with the others out on their errands, I need you to stay behind and keep an eye on our guest. Much as I am wary to do so.” Ignis handed Kidd a strawberry that had the green leafy bit carefully removed.

“Bring him with us, Kidd seems to enjoy road trips. It could be good for him.”

Ignis frowned. Noct had a point. Having a safe introduction to new places would contribute to his personal growth. However, the boy may not handle the crowded nature of the city very well. Not to mention Gladio had taken the truck on their little excursion, and Ignis had reason to believe he didn’t enjoy the trip itself so much as just being in a truck.

And then there was the tiny issue of the Imperial presence taking over just about everywhere.

“Noct, I cannot imagine that would be safe for the boy. Wiz’s ranch and it’s limited number of visitors was one thing, it’s too much of a risk taking him to Lestallum.”

“Ok, so he can wear my hat and we just stay vigilant. C’mon Iggy, what, he’s supposed to just sit here forever? Let him decide. Like Gladio said, he needs to build self sufficiency.”

Noct was, unfortunately, right. Ignis sighed, turning to Kidd. “Well then, the decision is yours. Would you prefer to stay here with Noctis in the cabin, or come with me to visit a new place?”

“And I’ll be coming too.” Noctis clarified.

Kidd didn’t have to consider the question too long, and pointed at Ignis.

“See! He wants to go. Let’s get this cheese.”

Going against every drop of good sense inside himself, Ignis deferred to his Prince’s command.

The first issue arose immediately. As Ignis suspected, Kidd assumed there would be a truck ride involved. Seeing no truck and only the car, he now seemed to falter in his decision.

“Hey, if you think the metal ridged bed of a truck is fun, wait til you try leather seats.'' Noct said, opening the passenger rear door and reaching out to help him in.

“The weather does lend itself to having the top down.” Ignis turned on the car and flipped the switch to do so. Kidd watched the entire process with a wonder befitting a young child.

“Seatbelts are mandatory today, put yours on first, Noct, so he knows it’s part of the process and not something to fear.” Ignis commanded while putting on his own.

“Oh, yeah, good thinking Iggy.” Noct followed suit before reaching over to help Kidd with his. “Hey, look at you.” Noct said. Ignis turned around to do so; the boy was attempting to follow the modeled behavior. “Come on little guy, you got this!” Noct encouraged.

Ignis was reminded of a piece of advice he’d read long ago: if you wish to boost the performance of a mediocre employee, have him train the new ones. The former will feel motivated to improve when entrusted with the responsibility. It would seem there may have been something to that.

“Oh, there’s the problem, you’ve got the wrong buckle. Try this one.” After a successful clicking sound, Ignis shifted into drive and began the trek north to Lestallum. The trip was pleasant, with the only hold up being a herd of beasts making their way from one side of the road to the other. Ignis found moments here and there to check on his smallest passenger. His seatbelt appeared anything but comfortable, obviously made for a bigger body than his. Ignis began brainstorming some way to remedy that.

He pulled into the usual parking area, surrounded by familiar cars (save for one, thank the Gods). “Alright, no dilly dallying. Straight to the market for necessities, and then back to the car.” Ignis commanded, taking Kidd’s hand to help him out of his seat.

“And check in with Holly.” Noct reminded him. The prince’s gallantry knew no inconvenient bounds.

“A status update on her health and the power plant is fine, but do try not to agree to any urgent errands. We don’t have all day to run about the countryside checking pipes.”

“Well we don’t always have much of a choice…” Noct trailed off, heading towards the stairs.

He was right, again, of course. It seemed everywhere they turned there was a helpless citizen in need of assistance. From rescuing hunters who bit off more than they could chew to saving the power plant that kept the night lit up for most of the country. What started as a standard wedding party had turned into an endless quest to save the people Noct was one day meant to rule. If ever he sat on that throne, Ignis had no doubts Noct had already won the people’s support.

Still, it was disconcerting. Barely a moment flashed by between the fall of their homes and the next emergency they jumped in to solve. The more time they spent fixing everyone else’s problems, the more Ignis felt their own pressing issue would be left unaddressed. And if the others had their way it would continue as such.

It was, after all, only the small matter of the immense amount of loss every single one of them experienced in the blink of an eye. Nothing to worry about at all!

Noctis barely had the time to mourn his Father, much less his kingdom and birthright. Gladio seemingly refused to recognize his grief for his own Father, sugar coating the death in layers of duty and honor that dissociated the late Shield from the man. Even Prompto, who already lost his home, was now facing the breakdown of his very identity as he knew it to be. They had been cracking under the weight of their own stubbornness long before Gladio received the message that brought them where they now were.

And despite Ignis’ own level of self-awareness, he could not deny he was avoiding his own inconvenient feelings for a life lost. 

His Uncle, at once a distant and strict teacher while simultaneously his caring and gentle guardian. The man was more a Father to Ignis than the one he could only recollect from vague memories and what little photographic evidence of his parents remained. Much like Gladio, Ignis was expected to follow right behind long before he was old enough to fully understand the commitment. And like Gladio, Ignis had accepted that fate. He fully embraced the long days spent being drilled by tutors and attendants, and longer nights buried in reference books on every topic imaginable. His love of coffee began very, very early on.

Like Gladio, Ignis had a difficult time separating the family member from the mentor. Every recollection he could pull up involved the man as the King’s attendant, and Ignis’ most vital resource in filling those (perfectly polished) shoes. It was troubling. He could mourn the loss of his teacher perfectly well, but it lacked the heft he felt it should hold. The closest thing Ignis had to a Father was dead, and he felt so little for it.

They were handling this all wrong. They were throwing themselves at tasks of increasing risk and difficulty as a means of burying a bomb that was set to go off at any time. This little detour felt much like the steam valves covering the city: releasing slight pressure only to delay the inevitable.

And now somehow they all decided they could take on the challenge of acting as paternal role models for a traumatized young child.

Truly, their most well thought out quest to date.

They stopped to check in with the power plant’s manager first, considering the necessity of minimizing the time the ingredients would be out of cold storage. Holly for once appeared in good health. She certainly was not gripping her back or limping along when she moved to greet them.

“Well, isn’t it nice to see you again!” She said happily. Ignis was about to politely greet her in turn, before noticing she was speaking directly to the child holding his hand.

“Uhh, you know him?” Noct asked, abandoning any attempt at investigating further before revealing too much.

“Him and his Momma came through here not too long ago. Poor woman was desperate to make some gil for a room. She traveling with you all now?” Holly asked.

Noct continued to reveal more information than necessary. “No. She’s...she’s dead. We found him.”

“Damn shame.” Holly’s face dropped. “That woman, she left a lot to be desired in the personality department, but boy was she a good doctor. Whipped me up this balm for my lower back, haven’t had any trouble with it since! And for half the price they’d charge in a hospital! I was hoping to buy some more from her, but..hmm...sorry about your Momma, kiddo. It was obvious how much she loved you.”

Kidd was assuming his standard display of looking intensely at the ground below.

Holly turned back to face Noct. “But he’s lucky he found you, can’t think of anyone more caring or responsible to leave a kid with.”

Ignis successfully stifled a laugh.

“No problems with the power?” Noct asked.

“Nothing wrong at the moment, I appreciate you checking up on us. Everything’s running real smooth thanks to you.” Holly replied.

“Glad to hear it, take care.” Noct waved as the three made their way down to the market.

“Noct…” Ignis began as the prince scooped up Kidd to hold at his side. “If he and his Mother spent time here, then-”

“Then it’s possible her killer could be here too.”

Ignis felt quite pleased with Noct’s increasing ability to keep up.

“We must maintain strict vigilance. Do you think you would recognize that man if you saw him?” Ignis asked. Kidd nodded in reply. “Good. Stay close together, no splitting off for any fanciful distraction. And keep an eye on our ward, he seems to prefer communicating non-verbally.”

“Right.” Noct nodded as they began their descent into the hot and crowded mess that was the Lestallum market.

Ignis split his attention between the people close around them and the items he required to prepare dinner.

Recipe for Classic Macaroni and Cheese:

Ingredients:

Pasta, preferably curved or spiral shaped (1 lb standard, adjust for increased servings)  
Butter (The recipe would deplete their stock, best to grab more)  
Flour (There was plenty at the cabin)  
Milk (Fresh is best)  
Seasoning (There was an adequate number of spices in their kitchen, but he had something additional in mind, should he find it)  
Cheese (Procure from the available selection, perhaps two varieties. Ensure good meltability and flavor)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Melt the butter under medium heat until frothy. Add the flour and whisk, letting the roux cook until it turns a golden chestnut color.

Add the milk slowly while whisking, continue to whisk until combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, allowing to simmer until sauce has thickened, about five minutes. Add seasoning and adjust to taste.

Add the shredded cheese in batches, allowing to melt fully. 

Add cooked pasta to sauce, stirring until combined. Serve.

Variations:

Add mashed cooked vegetables to sauce.  
Transfer finished product to a greased casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and bake until bubbly, 20 minutes.  
Add protein. Poultry and seafood mix nicely with this dish

Simple, basic, easy to modify for their needs. As Ignis made his way from one stall to the next, Noctis held the boy close. He continued to scan the crowd for any signs of suspicious behavior. 

“I was thinking…” Noct whispered.

“And praise the Astrals.” 

“Ha ha. Holly said the age- Kidd’s mom was trying to get a room. You think they stayed at the Leville?”

“It would seem quite likely, yes.”

“Well maybe we should stop by and see if there’s any clues, or maybe if anyone’s seen anything?”

It was...a fantastic idea. But one that would need to be handled very delicately. Ignis finished paying for the cheese and took note the vendor seemed to also recognize the boy.

“I think we may have enough time for a small investigation.” Ignis finally answered.

“Great, we can get this stuff in the cooler first, and then- Oh. Hey, what’s up, what do you see?”

Ignis quickly turned to Noct and the boy, who was pointing and staring intently to their right. He followed the boy’s line of sight, feeling a slight surge of adrenaline at what or who they may be about to face. 

“Wait, this?” Noct asked, nonchalantly walking to a table and pointing at a small display. Kidd nodded vigorously. Ignis joined them, feeling a full body sigh of relief escape. Kidd continued to point at what appeared to be little cactuar statues carved from stone. “Oh yeah, it’s another one of those figurines Talcott likes. You wanna get it for him, huh?” Noct asked with a smile. “I think a couple of hunts will more than pay for this.”

“Noct…” Ignis instinctively attempted to dissuade the careless spending, but he had to admit, it was a very gracious gesture from both of them.

“Hey, we haven’t had to pay to sleep indoors for awhile. It’s fine. We can worry about our empty wallets when we’re back on the road.”

Ignis, in spite of himself, felt relieved that Noctis made a genuinely good argument in support of the purchase.

\---

Inside the Leville was a welcome and appreciated blast of air conditioning. The man behind the counter was one they’d interacted with before, and luckily, he had once not so subtly voiced his support of Noctis’ fight against the Empire. Still, a level of caution needed to be achieved here, and Ignis made quite sure Noct understood.

“Welcome back, nice to see you again. Is your mother here as well?” The concierge asked with a wide smile, making eye contact with Kidd.

Ah.

“No, unfortunately, but we were-” Ignis began.

“Come to pick up the things she left? The fetch missions never end for you, do they?” The man bent over and retrieved a small cardboard box stashed under the front desk. “This is everything. You two left in quite a hurry. Kindly inform her if she would like a refund for the two nights she hadn’t used she only need call us. Our manager still feels he is in her debt.”

“Oh?” Noct asked, trying to pry further.

“Please, let her know his wife and baby are in excellent health.” 

“Uh, yeah. We will...do that. Thank you.” Noct nodded a farewell as Ignis retrieved the closed box. The three walked quietly back to the Regalia, two lost in thought.

“Starting to sound like Cor’s agent was an actual doctor.” Noct said, fastening his seatbelt.

“Indeed, mixing curatives and delivering babies from the sound of it. He did say she could act the part...”

“Hey, you doing okay?” Noct asked. Ignis turned to see what he was referring to. Kidd was tightly gripping the seatbelt, his face a bit pale. 

“I have to imagine this trip may have pulled up a few troublesome memories.” Ignis sighed as he turned the ignition. The box lay unopened in the passenger seat. Ignis felt it pertinent that they look through it in the safety of the cabin, specifically with everyone there.

“Don’t worry Kidd, mac and cheese heals everything.”

\---

“Ok, how about this: Gladio should open it. And then if there isn’t a huge venomous snake waiting inside, then we can let Kidd go through it for any of his stuff.” Prompto suggested, staring down the cardboard box on the kitchen counter taking everyone’s attention.

“You really think a hotel concierge would hand over a box with a surprise snake inside?” Iris asked jokingly.

Prompto nodded. “Again, I don’t know why anyone thinks anything is off the table anymore. Better safe than sorry.” 

“Oh, speaking of surprises…” Noctis fished out the small paper bag stowed between the pasta and paprika. “Hey Talcott, we got something for you.” Noctis looked incredibly pleased with himself as he handed the bag to the boy.

“For me?” He gasped. “Another cactuar! Thank you, Prince Noctis!”

“I believe thanks should be divided accordingly…” Ignis said to Noct.

“Yeah, I know! It was Kidd’s idea. He noticed them first.” Noct nodded towards the younger boy, who was still looking a bit worse for wear.

Talcott wasted no time grabbing him into a hug. “This is so cool! I didn’t think I’d ever find this one!” The sudden contact seemed to pull Kidd back into the moment, as he cautiously returned the embrace.

“Aaawwee, you guys are real bff’s, aren’t you?” Prompto asked.

“Anyway, back to this mystery snake box.” Gladio said, taking the initiative and opening up the cardboard flaps. “And what do you know, a pile of random junk and no snake to be found...oh. But this…” Gladio pulled a small metal device from the box. 

Ignis recognized it immediately. “Isn’t that-”

“Standard issue Communicore Encrypted Messenger. We called them Communi-Cors because uh...they’re used mostly to communicate with Cor. In the field. The joke works better in writing.” Gladio said.

The device had a noticeable crack down the screen.

“Looks like a regular cell phone to anyone not in the know, but it’s got pretty intense security measures, and it can only connect with one other device. Usually the Marshal’s.” Gladio explained.

“Great, can we find anything out from it?” Noct asked hopefully.

“Well, the first problem is the battery is absolutely dead, and I don’t see the charging unit in here.” Gladio fumbled through the box. “Second, the security I mentioned is no joke. One screw up and the whole thing locks down and deletes everything.”

“Still, we cannot discount the possibility that something of worth could be in there.” Ignis said as he began the process of boiling water.

“But didn’t you say it connects with Cor? If there was anything worthwhile, wouldn’t he already know about it?” Iris asked. She had a point.

“Usually it's Cor. But she might have had a different handler.” Gladio corrected.

“Yeah, and even still, we’ve got something here Cor didn’t.” Noct gestured to Kidd. 

“Dude…” Prompto looked offended.

“There might be something in that device that can help him, or help us find the killer! It’s worth a try, right?” Noct defended himself.

“Is it even working? I mean, look at that crack on the screen. Maybe she left it behind because it’s broken.” Prompto also made a good point.

“Well it’s all moot if we can’t charge it. We’ll have to figure that out first. Until then…” Gladio placed the box down so Kidd could look through it. “Any of this stuff mean something to you?”

Kidd peered inside. Ignis could make out a shirt, a pack of matches, the rest of the bandaging that had been on Kidd’s wrist, and a dirt stained bandana. Not much in the way of earthly possessions, it would seem.

The boy gasped quietly and lunged his hands into the box, retrieving his prize: a basic black hair tie. In an obviously practiced maneuver he gathered his long hair that hung past his chin, and tied it up in a basic loose knot. 

“Huh.” Prompto blinked. 

“Just so you know, Gladio has like, a hundred of those things if you ever need one.” Noct said.

Satisfied that nothing dangerous was going to spring from the box, Ignis pulled his attention back to making dinner. This particular dish wasn’t one of his more favored, considering by default it lacked vegetables, but there was always something so meditative about the process of making a sauce. How reliable it is, that if you add flour to liquid, it will always thicken. But it took time, there was no instant gratification. You had to let it simmer gently, continue to prod and stir, and at the end you had something different. The same basic pieces were still there, but they formed into exactly what you wanted them to. And all it took was a gentle, patient nudge. So much of cooking was like that: a reassuring formula that if you did your part correctly, you would be rewarded in turn.

And when a dish was complete, with all the pieces where they ought to be and cooked all the way through, came the most vital step: you have to let it rest. Give it a little bit of time outside the heat to cool off, let the liquids inside calm and sink back where they belonged. Rushing this part would only burn you. It stresses meat and causes it to dry out. It leaves pies and souffles too liquidy and ruins their structural integrity. Some may not notice the necessity of this final step, but it was the difference between excellence and failure.

Everything needs to rest before you can truly appreciate all the work you did to get it there.

“Hey Iggy, I couldn’t help but notice you’ve got some carrots there.” Noct said, leaning over the counter.

“Very astute observation, your highness.” 

“I just think it’s interesting that you’d take up space in your workstation with something that has no business being in the recipe you’re making.”

“It is a curious occurrence, is it not?” Ignis prodded at Noct.

“Look, come on, you’re making this for the kid, you’re going to ruin it completely if you stick carrots in it.” Noctis deflected his disapproval.

“Is that so?” Ignis asked, before taking a freshly washed carrot and slicing a small disc off. “Just like this morning, and chew this one carefully.” He said as he handed the piece to Kidd. The boy did so and, after a moment, looked back up at Ignis and nodded with a smile.

Noct let out a prolonged whine. “Everywhere I look, it’s traitors.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk to meeeeee! https://bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com/


	15. Noctis Gets Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto solders on. The kid gets a ride. A cat says hello.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been bugging at me so I just want to acknowledge the fact that for the sake of plot/the game's plot, I fast tracked Kidd's recovery. There is no way a child that went through that would bounce back this quickly, no matter how many handsome young dads adopted him.

“Kidd, you are about to have the best experience of your life.”

“Uh, Noct, pretty sure he already had it. At the chocobo ranch.” Prompto frowned, a little cheesed about the plans for the day.

“That was an appetizer compared to this entree.” Noct said proudly.

Prompto rolled his eyes. “Right, sitting on a dock watching you curse at the water for twelve hours is so much more exciting than petting cute animals.” He put his attention back to the project at hand: finding a way to adapt the Communicore’s power input to charge off a normal cellphone charger.

Or something like that. As much as Noct appreciated Prompto’s penchant for electronics and machinery, most of the details and vocabulary involved went right over his head. The important thing was Prompto was trying to see if the thing still worked, which was step one.

“Don’t listen to him, fishing is a beloved pastime that dates back to the first time man could tie a string to a stick. It’s a means for solitude, self-reflection, and bagging a bigger prize than everyone else.” Noct assured Kidd.

“It’s a means of making your bodyguards stand in the rain in the middle of the night for six hours.” Gladio said, crossing his arms. 

“Hey, that fish only comes out at night while it’s raining! And did I not catch one? Eventually?”

“Yes, eventually.” Ignis chimed in.

“The point is, it’s cramped and crowded in here, and sometimes a man needs some time alone to really think about his place in the universe. And Kidd is coming too because the next generation needs to appreciate the lifegiving bounty of the sea.” 

“Perhaps a bit of peacefulness could be beneficial.” Ignis said while folding the freshly washed laundry.

“Exactly, it’s just what he needs.” Noct agreed.

“He meant for us.” Gladio snorted.

“Come on #1 bodyguard, we don’t need to take this negativity.” Noct grabbed Kidd by the hand, a generously pre-packed lunch made by Ignis in the other, and off they went to Caem Shore.

The trek was pleasant, filled with chirping birds and the relaxing sounds of waves crashing on the beach. The morning sun was shining gently behind the clouds, and the air felt crisp with the scent of salt. It was, for Noctis, a golden example of a perfect day for fishing. As long as the fish he was after came out during the day and didn’t prefer the rain. 

The walk was a little bit longer than Noct recalled from their last visit, made more noticeable by his fishing partner’s short legs slowing the pace down. But Noct had an idea.

“Hey, want a piggyback ride?” He asked. Kidd simply looked at him, trying to puzzle together the individual words he’d just been asked. “Oh, yeah. You have no idea what that is. Here-” Noct crouched to the ground, back turned to Kidd, and gestured for him to hop on. He did so, then Noct wrapped his arms under the kid’s legs, and up they went.

Noct used to love getting rides like this when he was little. It was such a thrill to be so high up and tall. Even more so to see the transformation of a large stoic adult into a laughing mess. Noct would never forget Clarus Amicitia in all his proper statuesque glory immediately start making chocobo noises when Noct asked for a ride. Piggyback rides were a critical component of a perfect childhood, and Noct would now make sure Kidd got to have at least one.

Luckily for Noct’s back injury and ensuing chronic pain, Kidd didn’t weigh much of anything. In fact he couldn’t have weighed more than the backpack Gladio made him carry on their first camping trip years ago. It was convenient for right now, but it was something he and Ignis were working on fixing.

“Alright, here’s the spot.” Noct said as he helped Kidd dismount onto the small wooden pier below. He reached into the armiger and summoned out his favorite rod. Noct sat down next to Kidd and began to explain what it was.

“Let’s start with the basics. This is a fishing rod. The string running up and down is the line. At the end of the line is a lure with a hook. The general idea is to cast the hook into the water so a fish will see the lure, think it’s food, and bite down on the hook. This part,” he pointed at the tip of the pole, “will start to twitch when something goes for the bait. It’s the first indication that you need to get ready. When you’ve hooked a fish, you start to wind this crank here. It pulls the line back to you. But you have to be careful because the fish is fighting back. If you reel too fast or pull too hard, you might snap the line and lose the fish and your lure. You have to anticipate the fish’s movements and gently guide it back to you.”

Noctis took another look into his trusty pocket dimension and grabbed his tackle box, older than he himself, and set it down to open.

“These are all different types of lures. Different fish respond to different colors, shapes, and sizes. Plus, some of them bob, some of them wind, and others have little propellers. It’s all to simulate the food the fish is used to chasing after. It’s a good idea to know what’s in the water before you cast so you don’t waste time with a lure none of the fish in there will notice.”

Noct picked out a purple, blue, and yellow lure shaped like a fish. “Today, we’re after some striped barramundi. They’re plentiful out here in the daytime, and Ignis makes a delicious fish and chips with them. If we can catch enough, we’ll all be feasting on fried perfection tonight.” Noct attached the lure to the line, showing Kidd how to do it safely, stood and cast out into the water. 

Kidd watched the top of the pole expectantly.

“Ah, this could possibly take a while. Usually you have some time to relax and think about stuff, you know? Just chill with nature.” Noct closed his eyes for a moment and took in his traditional post-cast moment of zen. Just a blip of time to collect himself, his thoughts, let his mind stop racing for one second. He exhaled and looked down, seeing Kidd mimicking him, standing still with eyes closed.

“Yep, just like that.”

He wondered if Kidd had deep thoughts of his own. He couldn’t remember most of what he meditated on when he was that young. There was that one time, when he was about ten, he’d stormed off to a pond by himself (and one quiet bodyguard, of course) to work out his frustration. Once again, he’d been denied any personal time with the only parent he had left. His Father was busy running an entire country, keeping it safe from the darkness threatening them at every turn. He didn’t have time for Noct outside of their scheduled dinners and rare planned outings.

He just wanted an hour of his time. He hadn’t even known what he wanted or why, he just wanted to be able to walk up to his Dad when he felt the urge and not be turned away by an impersonal attendant.

But the real frustration, the heart of why Noct needed that quiet solitude that afternoon, had come from the realization that it would one day be his life too. He’d be expected to marry, have a son of his own to take his place, and he’d have to put the needs of every single other Lucian alive over his own child’s. Just like Regis did for him. Just like Mors did for Regis. And so on, all the way back. The luck of the hereditary draw.

He’d not only inevitably continue the cycle, he’d be expected to. He knew his Dad loved him. He knew Regis wanted to give everything and every moment to him. But he had a duty. And so did Noct. And even though he understood it, fully and completely, it still wasn’t fair. And he still held that bit of resentment, that that love wasn’t enough to make him want to break the cycle. Ten year old Noct had sat at that pond for hours, and come back from it empty handed, save for a passionate decree that whatever child he had in the future would never be made to feel this way.

Noct still believed in it.

“So, what’s on your mind?” Noct asked Kidd, who opened his eyes again in response. “I mean, what are you thinking? Got anything you wanna talk about?” Maybe being a little more direct and literal could ease communication along.

“Mom.” Kidd answered.

“Yeah. I think about my Mom a lot too.” There wasn’t much, he was so young when Aulea died. But what little memory he did have he held close. “Sounded like your Mom helped a lot of people.”

Kidd nodded. “She hated it.”

Noct snorted. “She...she was a doctor, and she hated helping people?”

“Yes. The person would need help, and she’d get mad like this-” Kidd threw his hands in the air and made an angry face, “and then she’d say ‘I guess I HAVE to do this now.’ And then she would make the person feel better.” Kidd began fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

“Yeah? People ask for her help a lot?” Noct inquired, hoping this sudden flood of talking could be encouraged to continue.

“No.” Kidd shook his head. “Nobody asked her. She said she had to do it.”

Noct could almost relate to the innate urge to fix everyone else’s problems, even when it interfered with fixing his own. Still, what a weird way to go about it. “She was a good doctor, huh?”

Kidd thought for a moment, all the while still staring at the tip of the pole. “She wasn’t like the other doctors. They would make problems, so they could study it. She was supposed to make a problem with thi- ..with me. But then the alarms went off and she said ‘FUCK THIS’ and we left.”

Noct was so taken aback at the child’s dedication to recalling the scene, he almost failed to notice the line beginning to tug. Kidd however, did not miss it, and pointed urgently at the pole.

“Ah, yeah, hang on. Watch and learn.” The muscle memory took over, and slowly Noct began to reel the fish in. Giving some slack when things got too tight, and making sure to, as Ignis would say, turn the rod towards the fish. It only took a few minutes before he had a nice sized barramundi flopping about in front of them. 

“And that, is fishing.” Noct smiled proudly, removing the fish from the line and getting it setup to go again. After securing the lure he held out the pole. “Wanna give it a try?”

Kidd’s eyes lit up with surprise and wonder. Noct felt overjoyed at the display, he remembered feeling the exact same way the day he’d been handed a fishing pole for the first time. With a little bit of coaching and gently correcting his grip, the lure was back in the water. Not as far as Noct’s previous cast, but it would do nonetheless. Practice makes perfect.

“You said your mom was supposed to...make a problem?” Noct tried to get him opening up again.

“People out here get hurt, they call it a problem. The doctors at base made problems.”

“She was supposed to hurt you?” Noct clarified, feeling sick.

Kidd nodded, eyes stuck on the pole, then released his right hand from the handle and made a motion like he was unzipping an invisible jacket. “It was my turn.”

Noct was definitely going to be sick. He really didn’t need any more details. “Well, I’m glad she didn’t. We’re all glad. We like having you here, and not having problems.”

Kidd continued to stare wordlessly at the pole.

“The man you told Cor about, the one who had her killed, was he a doctor?” 

Kidd shook his head. He looked a little unsteady.

“Here, let me hold it until you get a bite. It’s a little heavy for you to hold for so long.” Noct took the pole back, staying right next to him. “I know it’s hard to remember, even talk about. But if you can help us find him, tell us anything you can at all, we’ll make sure he never...makes problems again.”

“He was…” Kidd started, fidgeting again. “He was big.”

“Big, huh?” Noct asked. He nodded. “It’s a start.”

A few blessed moments passed in silence, letting the two of them come back to the present and chase away thoughts of pain and neglect. Right now, there was none of that.

Just be here, now.

The pole flinched. Kidd reached out to take it back, and Noct obliged.

“Alright, reel it in slowly, ah watch the tension, ok, nice, ok, move it-yes like that. Perfect! Just a little more, don’t give up...come on…come on...THERE!” Noct reached down to grab the large fish out of the water. “Look at that, bigger than the one I caught! You’re a natural!”

Kidd looked up at the fish and smiled.

The day continued on as such, each taking a turn with the pole, Noct giving Kidd advice and teaching him everything he could think of. And Kidd noticeably absorbed all of it. They enjoyed the lunch Ignis had made them, and Kidd managed to share a few of the encounters he and his Mom had on the road. 

She set the broken arm of a man who gave them some clothes. Tended the wound of an elderly woman who fed them in return. Mixed an herbal remedy to ease a child’s persistent cough, and her parents provided them a safe place to sleep. Every time nothing was asked of her, nobody knew she was a doctor, but still she offered to fix their ‘problems’. And complained about it the whole way.

Noct wished he could have met her, he really wanted to know what her deal was.

“Bbbrrrppppp?” A familiar little noise rang out from behind them. Noct took a quick look back to confirm, it was indeed his biggest furry fan poking around at the pile they’d been amassing.

Kidd noticed too, but looked startled and quickly moved to grab his slingshot and a stone from his back pocket.

“Woah hey, wait, it’s okay! She’s a friend.” Noct said, grabbing Kidd’s arm with his free hand. “She’s just curious, see? She’s way too picky to run off with a raw one anyway.” Noct grinned. Kidd let his guard back down, seemingly satisfied that Noct felt safe.

The cat made a small hop over the pile and pranced down the pier to the two of them. After a long stretch she sauntered over to Noctis and rubbed her cheek on his leg.

“Nce to see you again too.” He said, bending down enough to scratch her head. “See? Just like the chocobos. Most animals won’t hurt you if you don’t attack them first. I mean, there’s some you should stay away from. But cats just want to sleep and hang out.” Cats were, to Noct, the perfect animal. They just got what life was about.

Kidd chanced putting his hand out towards her. She responded by squinting her eyes and cautiously sniffing at his fingertips. Seemingly satisfied, she lifted up on her back legs a little and rubbed her cheeks against the side of his hand. He leaned over to pet her like he had the chocobo, gently and along the fur. The cat let out a purr, flicked her tail, and turned to leave. Kidd seemed a little disappointed.

“That’s just how cats are. They drop in and out whenever they feel like. But she liked you, so you’ll see her again.” Probably tonight, in fact, if they had enough fish leftover to satisfy her picky palate. 

Long before evening was due, Kidd let out a big yawn.

“Yeah?” Noct asked. “This really is a lot more talking than you normally do. It’s probably pretty exhausting.” Kidd nodded in response. “Well, I think we’ve got a pretty good bounty, we can head back and make this Ignis’ probl- eh, job. His job. To worry about it.”

A flicker of magic and everything was back where it came from. Noct crouched again, offering another ride that was excitedly accepted. After a few minutes, the kid was asleep, head nestled into Noct’s shoulder. 

“We got you, little guy.”

\---

Noctis woke up to the distinct smell of fried fish. He was leaning back in the old arm chair, with Kidd knocked out asleep with his head on Noct’s chest. A soft blanket had been placed on top of them both. The prince stretched his arms and took a look around. 

Ignis was in the kitchen, happily at work cooking something he’d grown accustomed to making over a camp stove. Having the space to make it properly had to feel great, Noct thought. Prompto was sitting at the table, right where they’d left him that morning, a much less delicious smell wafting from the work he was crouched over.

Noct picked up the kid before standing up, laying him back down on the chair wrapped up in the blanket.

“Still at it then?” Noct asked.

Prompto looked up suddenly. “Welcome back to the waking world, dude. You were practically asleep before you hit the patio. And yeah, but I’m on a roll. I think I got this.”

“Really?” Noct asked, not a hint of disbelief. Prompto was good at pulling this stuff apart and putting it back together better than it was before. 

“Yep, like, at the end of the day a power supply is just two wires connected to a battery. I just had to strip a regular phone charger, match the right wires, a little soldering here and snapping some plastic there, and soon we’ll have this sucker charged!”

Soldering? Ah. That was the nasty smell. 

“In the meantime, dinner is ready. And I insist everyone partake while it’s still hot, fried food does not keep.” Ignis began setting plates on the table while Noct took it upon himself to inform everyone else it was time to enjoy the harvest he and Kidd worked so hard to provide for them.

“Perfect as always, Iggy.” Gladio said after taking a hefty bite of fish and dressed cabbage. 

“Ahem…” Noct said, eyeing Gladio.

“Yeah yeah, nice work catching it too.” 

“Actually, little guy caught about half of them himself.” Noct said, gesturing towards Kidd who was attempting to figure out how to eat what was in front of him.

“Get out. You caught this? Nice work, Kidd.” Gladio said with genuine surprise.

Regardless, Ignis had done an incredible job, as always. Noct even found himself eating the slaw (the mayo helped). He let Ignis have the wins when it was bearable. 

After dinner, Prompto checked his work and smiled widely. “We’re in business!” He yelled as the cracked screen flickered on. “It has to stay attached to this outlet, I doubt the battery is going to hold the charge, but it works for now.”

“Nice, so, now what?” Noct asked, remembering there was more to this device than any regular cell phone they’d ever encountered.

“Looks like a numeric password.” Prompto answered.

Great. “And one wrong input and all your work is for nothing…” Noct frowned. 

Kidd peered over the table to see what they were talking about. “3825968267.” He rattled off like he was reading it from a cue card.

“You’re...you’re sure that’s the code for this?” Prompto asked, showing Kidd the screen. He nodded. “Ok, give it one more time. A...little slower though.”

“3 8 2 5 9 6 8 2 6 7.” Kidd repeated.

“It...it worked! It’s unlocked!” Prompto cheered.

“Look who the hero of the day is.” Gladio ruffled Kidd’s hair.

“Well?” Noct asked, trying to get a better view of what Prompto was seeing.

“There’s a chat log, hold on.” Prompto started scrolling to the beginning.

“Wow, one whole numerical passcode, amazing security measures Gladio.”

“Shut it Noct.”

“Ok, it starts here.”

>Dude

>I cant do this

>This was a mistake

<Cut that out

<Youre fine

>Hes here

<Who

>The sperm donor that helped make me

“I’m not reading that line out loud. Uh, it’s her dad but she doesn’t like him.” Prompto said.

<He wasnt supposed to be

<Does he recognize you

>Ha doubt he remembers i exist

>I just hate seeing him

>He looks like shit tho which is nice

“Then there’s nothing for three weeks.” Prompto continued.

<Status update 

>Fuck u

<Doing fine then

<Theres a situation here

<Imps demanding treaty

<How close are you to the goldmine

>Still in orientation

>Rounding starts in about two weeks

<You need to bunker down

>What

<I cant guarantee resources for extraction

<We dont know what to expect yet

>No

>Fuck no

>You have no idea what its like in here

>Do you know what they expect me to do soon

<I know what i expect you to do

>Yeah and it isnt carve up a little kid into tiny bits

>While hes alive

>And awake

>I wish this thing had caps lock i would be using it rn

>This is bullshit

>C

>O

>R

<Just until this gets under control

<Youre safer there

<And youre smart

<Make it work

<We will come for you and the package

<But not until then

“And then two weeks.”

>Im out

>Couldnt wait

>Have package

>Or something

>It doesnt matter

>None of this matters

>Im getting on this train again and what happens happens

  
  


“Several more weeks...”

>So thats what happened then

>Everythings gone

>I thought maybe they got you too

>And thats why you didnt respond

>Ofc not youre the immortal

>Literally people will not shut up that they saw you

>The women here need to get laid

>Shit dude

>I have no idea what im doing

>I told this kid to call me mom

>Isnt that funny

>Cause you know genetics and all that

>Anyway

>Itd be super if you could respond

>Anytime now

“And this is the last set.”

>Im so stupid

>The system was trashed wasnt it

>Ive been screaming into the void

>Nobodys reading these

>I hope you make good on your word

>I hope the whole place burns down

>And all those bastards with it

>Next time we meet im kicking your ass

>You owe me a beer

>Hes real

>It wasnt a nightmare

>I saw him hes here

“And...that’s it.”

“That was...a lot.” Noct said.

“There were certainly some interesting word choices in that transcript.” Ignis was staring into the distance, seemingly contemplating this new information.

“Should we…” Noct spoke before thinking. Even he didn’t know if what he was about to suggest was smart. “Should we tell Cor?”

Gladio frowned. “Seems like something he should know happened.”

“But the guilt…” Iris started. “The whole time she was trying to find him and he had no idea.”

“It wasn’t Cor’s fault. It wasn’t anybody’s. Each of them did what they needed to in those moments. Cor protected his people, and she saved a kid’s life.” Gladio looked over at Kidd. “Neither of them were wrong for making their choices.”

“It wasn’t a nightmare, he’s real…” Prompto repeated. “Think she’s referring to the man who...you know…”

“Yes.” Kidd nodded. “She saw him, and was scared. She threw it at the wall” he pointed at the Communicore, “and cried. And then we left.”

“She panicked.” Ignis offered.

“That would explain the crack, and leaving stuff behind…” Noct furrowed his brow. Something wasn’t coming together here. Something was missing, and it felt like a big fat dualhorn was standing in the corner mocking them. Her Dad was in the facility, she hated him, she had one? But Cor had taken her from there. So either her Dad was part of the problem or…? Was her Dad the one who killed her? No, she knew about him, she wouldn’t refer to him as ‘just a nightmare’.

Come on Noct, think. It was right there.

There were so many pieces that didn’t fit. She knew the man, she was afraid of him, he was in Lestallum, he could command the Magitek soldiers, she thought he was a nightmare. She thought she was talking to Cor.

Cor.

She thought Cor would know what she was talking about.

Noct stood up and said firmly to Gladio, “We need to call Cor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes the numerical passcode does have a hidden meaning, and you can find it by looking at your phone's keypad or talking to me over here: https://bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com/
> 
> :3


	16. Cor Gets Some Clarity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A demon stalks the night. The agent has a smoke. Noctis tries to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, ok, there is no cuteness to be had in this chapter. It's just plot, and depressing plot at that. If you're not about that, then no worries, you can read the last two chapters without this one and not really miss anything :)

Cor could hardly make sense of the rapid fire lines of questioning and explanations being thrown at him over the phone. Why did Gladio have to call him now? Why did they have to put him on speakerphone? Why did it have to be this much, this quickly, right when he was less than an hour from infiltrating this stronghold?

Why hadn’t he turned his damn phone off?

“One at a time.” Cor growled into the phone. For the love of the Six, please, just one screaming adolescent at a time.

“Kidd said the guy was big.” Noct yelled into the phone. 

“Very helpful, very worth my time, thank you.” Cor responded.

“Marshal, we’ve managed to procure and unlock your agent’s communication device.” That was Ignis.

“Great, so you read the transcript of what I already told you?” They hadn’t spoken much on that device, except to tell her the bad news and for her to get understandably pissed about it. Not soon after that, Insomnia had been nuked and with it their communication systems. Meaning there wasn’t anything on there he didn’t already know.

“And then some, Marshal. She continued attempting to send messages, although it appears they sat in an outbox and never made it to their intended destination.” 

That...was distressing.

Ignis continued. “Specifically one of the last messages she tried to send involved who we believe to be her killer.”

Ignis read the message to him. Cor felt his blood turn cold. ‘It wasn’t a nightmare’. He was forced back to that day, a week before she was set to head out and take her place in the Gralean Medical Institute. She was in his office, and she was having doubts.

“I used to have these nightmares, you know? That I was back there. It’s dumb. It’s not like I was ever in any danger. Probably. But those nightmares, there was a man in them. He didn’t seem real. Like a demon walking around on two legs. He stalked me. He said these things that made me happy but also made me feel sick. It was like I was safe, but surrounded by danger at the same time. Stupid, right?”

“What kind of things did he say?” Cor had asked her, trying to keep her head in the mission but nevertheless curious.

She had shrugged her shoulders. “Weird shit. Like, you’re so smart! We need to keep our eyes on you. You’re going to be just like your Father. You’ll take this whole thing further than he could even imagine. You just need to keep it all right in there.” She had reached over and poked Cor in the middle of his forehead. “Stuff like that. I even had one where he took me by the hand and dragged me into that room. The one where we met?” 

The access room, 19 years ago. No one had dragged her in there. She had skipped, skipped!, into that room alone. In the entire time he’d been there, undercover as a maintenance worker, he’d never seen this nightmare demon man anywhere near the kid. 

“Most of the time, he just asked me to come back home. Anyway, I stopped having them a long time ago. Except...when we agreed I’d be doing this, now, I started having them again. And he’s back, exactly like I remember. Except now he’s saying ‘Did you get it? Did you find it?’ And I just...don’t know what ‘it’ is.”

Cor brushed it off. “Maybe it’s a manifestation of your guilt or fear or something. You're nervous, it’s understandable.”

“Yeah. That’s probably it.”

That should have been his red flag. She’d accepted something he’d said to her at face value and had nothing to bark back. No insult or argument. That was a surefire sign that he was actually wrong. 

So scenario 1: her nightmare boogie man was real, had stalked her all over the star, and had her killed.

Or scenario 2: she had snapped under the circumstances, and convinced herself it was all real.

Either option left a pit of guilt in his chest.

Cor exhaled into the phone. “So the guy was big?” he asked.

“Yes.” He heard the kid’s voice say. 

He was big, he commanded the Nif infantry, he had to have spent time around Verstael to be within that facility, and if her nightmares were completely true, he had plans for her. Plans she undoubtedly rejected with a spit in the face, and thus he disposed of her.

This was someone high up. This was…

A brief memory, just a flash, of a man walking down the corridor. Stopping to admire Cor’s work fixing the ventilation system. Too close for comfort. An uneasy feeling like he was the thing being inspected. Then, as the man continued on his way, he had stopped to turn and flipped a coin that Cor barely caught.

“A tip,” he had said, “I assume Dr. Besithia’s pay rate is far below this level of craftsmanship.” Who was that? Why could he see the scene so clearly in his memory yet the face of the man was distorted, like looking at an old television set unable to connect to a signal.

The man had then turned back and noticed her. “There you are, how is my favorite niece?” He’d said, arms outstretched, that little girl bouncing over to him clutching a stuffed green chocobo. Verstael didn’t have any brothers. Her mother’s side?

Somewhere else. An adult woman, leaning against the wall outside the Citadel, nursing a cigarette. “After Mom died, they went through a mess of trouble trying to stick me in the home of every living relative they could find. None of them wanted to deal with my shit. That’s why I was there. The government forced him to acknowledge I existed. Better Daddy’s laboratory than another mouth for the state to feed.”

Not family then. Just one of those ‘Uncles’.

Then he was back in that hallway. “I missed you!” She had yelled as the faceless man scooped her up into his arms, holding her gently at his side. He’d been there long enough to observe the out of place child who made her home in the research facility. She was never this cheerful or warm to anyone.

“It has been too long, hasn’t it? You’ll have to tell me every single thing you've learned since then.” The man poked her forehead, eliciting a giggle from her.

But she had seemed so happy to see him, surely she wouldn’t have gone so willingly into the arms of someone who terrified her?

‘It was like I was safe, but surrounded by danger at the same time. Stupid, right?’

Stupid.

Cor’s mind wrenched him back to the present where he could hear the overlapping voices of well meaning young men throwing their hypothesis at him.

“Alright. I’ve got enough. Quit chasing this couerl’s tail. Back to business.” He commanded.

“Wait, that’s-” Noct was yelling now.

“That’s everything I need. You have a job to do, Highness. It’s far past time you got back to it. Let me do mine.” Cor hung up and silenced his phone before he could be dragged into anymore arguments. 

They’d wasted enough time. Noctis needed to get to Altissia. If the boy’s safety was the main concern left, Cor could see to that personally. He’d go back to Cape Caem to see them off, and stay put with the rest until Noct’s calling was completed.

Cor’s head began to ache. There was so much now, too much flashing by in his mind. So many details that had eluded him for so long, and why? Why now?

He’d observed the girl leave her room at two in the morning, skipping to an elevator, and pushing in the code that would override the terminal security and allow her access to anywhere she wanted in the whole damn facility. She’d had to hop to press each button, giving Cor time to memorize the code for himself. Then he watched as the elevator paused at level four. And that was the start to this entire freaking mess.

That first conversation they’d had-

“What’s in that room?”

“Babies.”

“Babies?”

“Yeah, duh, babies!”

No, that wasn’t the first. The first had been the day before. He’d caught the girl at an unused workstation watching an instructional video on swaddling, and had for some fucking reason decided to open his mouth, and say, “Learning how to be a Mommy, huh?”

To which she had whipped around to look at him, an adult stranger, completely pissed at being disturbed, and asked him, “Are you a moron?”

He’d followed her footsteps, punched in the code, stopped at the fourth floor, and ended up in a closed off room full of monitoring equipment, lockers with nothing but lab coats and boots inside, and a very securely locked door that required, at minimum, fingerprint access to open. What the hell was she so happy about finding in here?

And it hadn’t been long before he got his answer, as the door from the elevator opened. Cor had quietly taken to hiding underneath a terminal, behind a chair. The girl had been so sure she was alone, had she even bothered to look to her left she would’ve caught him. But she didn’t. Instead she walked over to where the row of lockers met the wall, and pulled from the gap between them a large metal square. And sure enough, she’d forced her way into that gap and disappeared into a hole in the wall.

He’d waited until she returned, about an hour, scaring the shit out of her. And that was when they’d had their second conversation, and Cor had learned that for some unknown reason, the Empire had a locked and secured room full of just a ton of babies, if this child would be believed.

She had insisted they were all her ‘little brothers’.That she was reading to them and spending time with them so they wouldn’t be lonely. Someone had told her they had a very important purpose to fulfill, and they needed her to help them do it.

As if that wouldn’t inflate the head of any little kid who’d hear it.

It was then they began to conspire. He needed a better idea of what was in there, and she came through with an entire cell phone's memory card full of photographs of every inch of that terrifying, horrific laboratory. All she wanted in return was a few prints of the babies themselves.

And when it became clear that this was it, this was the secret weapon the Imps were working on, these babies were the thing he’d come here to find, they conspired again. By that point she had begun to catch on. While taking those photographs she’d found manuals, instructions, orders, and read all of it. The fanciful lie she’d been fed was just that, and what lay ahead of her ‘brothers’ was something far more insidious. 

She knew how to retrieve one safely, she claimed to have memorized the manual for the containment tubes and proved it by rattling off the exact contents, down to the dilution, of every chemical in the liquid those infants were suspended in.

Cor didn’t understand a single word. He believed her. The hardest part was making her understand that he could only take one (and he never did ask how she decided). No, scratch that, the hardest part was looking into those scared eyes, her hand instinctively reaching out for his, begging to go too.

He’d thought for sure she’d want to stick around, watch over the rest. She was desperate, though. She needed to get out, now. 

Taking a ‘sample’ of the Empire’s little program was one thing. Kidnapping Verstael Besithia’s six year old daughter and taking her over the border was a whole other matter entirely. Whether he’d miss her or not.

But man had she put on a show of being an innocent little girl all alone in a big scary place.

And that was how 26 year old Cor had found himself on a train headed through Tenebrae, a kid clutching her stuffed toy sitting across from him, a baby sleeping silently in his arms, and an abundance of stares and whispers from random civilians when she looked at him and yelled, “You’re holding him wrong, you’re gonna break his fucking neck!”

Two details stuck out to him, looking back on this memory now. One, Del’s anger and outbursts were coming from a place of stone cold fear. And two, at no point from start to finish had that baby ever cried.

Convenient at the moment. Distressing in retrospect.

So now he had in his mind’s eye a faceless, manipulative Imperial as his one and only lead. It would have to suffice.

Snapping back to the present again, Cor saw his opening. Shift change. Just enough time without observation to slip between the cracks.

This stronghold wasn’t like the flying build-a-bases popping up all over the countryside. The Imps had something in here, and Cor was determined to find what it was. If it was something worth the trouble, he’d let Noct decide how to handle it. But Cor needed to know what it was first. Once past the walls and tucked safely in the shadows, he was able to take an initial assessment of what he was dealing with. 

And what it appeared was the outside show of heavy security was just that: a show. Inside this place seemed barren, empty. Like that hallway. No telltale equipment, no signs of envoys or transports, no computers, or weapons, or cages with beasts. It was a heavily guarded, empty space. It was-

It was a trap.

“So kind of you to join us.” Son of a bitch. Lights flipped on and mechanical soldiers turned to his location, guns trained on him.

Cor sighed. If they were going to play games, he might as well play too. “All this for little ole’ me?” He asked, hands open and out at his sides in a show of good faith, hoping to draw the mastermind into the open.

“Well, I had assumed you’d send the boys in your stead as usual but I suppose the Marshal himself will do.” And out of the shadows skulked the Chancellor of Niflheim himself.

That face. The static in his memory dissipated, as if someone had reached in to turn the dial and fix it. It was so clear now, like it all happened just yesterday. He’d seen the Chancellor so many times before, he never looked different. Never aged. Why was this moment any different? 

It was a taunt. The demon who stalked the halls of a little girl’s nightmares was right here, in front of him. And now he was allowed, granted the privilege, to remember every straining moment he’d spent in there. 

The way he’d commented on the ventilation work, too good for the pay rate, too good compared to the regular contract labor. A tip. A tip *off*. He’d known. He’d flaunted it in front of him. He was the Chancellor. He’d had all the access he needed. He showed her the access, set her up for Cor to find. The whole damn thing had been at his whims. The realization must have surely shown on his face, for Izunia gave him a knowing smile. 

“Shall we have a chat then, one immortal to another?”

“Doesn’t seem like I have much of a choice.” Cor gestured at the surrounding MTs that were making sure he stayed put. Another show of force, nothing more, a warning to comply. If Izunia wanted him dead he’d already be on the ground. 

“As I said, I had been expecting your younger and, shall I say, more impulsive comrades to be joining me here tonight. But I suppose their dilly dallying about while the world burns around them continues?” He motioned to the soldiers who wordlessly lowered their weapons in tandem.

Cor knew Noctis had a few run-ins with the man, each time ending on somewhat cordial terms. Which was already suspicious from someone so high up in Niflheim’s government.

‘The government forced him to acknowledge I existed.’

Izunia had her placed there. This was all him. Why now, like this? 

“So spit it out. Why all the theatrics?”

“Not one to waste time on pleasantries? Very well, Marshal. I’ve come to discuss terms for the return of my property.” Izunia said the last word with a hint of derision. Like he resented needing it. “I believe, not for the first time, you have something that belongs to me.”

Cor couldn’t help but crack a smile. Time to play ball.

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to be more specific.” 

“Will I? I suppose you do have sticky fingers when it comes to that which does not belong to you.” Izunia was stepping closer to him. Cor wouldn’t back down, he wouldn’t show a single sign of weakness. “A young woman escorting a child waltzed into your care.”

“And I’m guessing you want that child back?” 

Izunia laughed, a hollow and chilling sound echoing around the walls. “Far from it, the boy is a drop of water in the mighty Leviathan’s sea. Simply an unexpected but nonetheless interesting aperitif in the banquet yet to come. But you already knew that, Marshal.”

Of course he did. Why waste so many resources on getting back one inconsequential little clone when he had thousands more at his disposal?

“I have no desire to retrieve the dear lad and render him back to such barbaric circumstances. He has served his purpose. Do with him as you wish.”

“Pardon me then if I don’t understand what it is you’re asking for.” Cor continued to play dumb. Stall. Catalogue the exits. The few but present points where none of those guns could aim.

“As I’ve already stated, a young woman went running off looking for you. I only wish that you, for a second time, return her to her rightful home.”

“Why?” Cor was sure now, he had a plan. He could escape this when Izunia was done with him. “What business do you have with a corpse?”

The Chancellor’s face dropped from playful mirth to downright anger. “A corpse now, is she?” He turned from Cor, taking a few steps back. 

This was it.

“Surprised? You were the one who ordered the shot.” Cor felt himself brimming with carefully contained rage. In his mind all he could see was that little girl, holding her doll, taking a bullet in the chest. He pushed it down fully. He could feel it later. Right now, he needed to focus.

“Yes, I suppose I was.” Izunia turned his attention to the row of tin can soldiers, pointing at each one in turn as if counting them. He then motioned towards one who obediently made its way to his side. “And this was the one who took it.” 

In one smooth movement Izunia procured a knife from his coat and slashed at the neck of the thing, grabbing its head and pulling it in the opposite direction. The dagger then found its home in the MTs chest. Over. And over. And over. Sparks flew, black liquid oozed, a mechanical screech echoed around them.

It did not resist. The rest did not so much as flinch.

Cor wondered if this was a show of force meant to further intimidate him, or genuine unfiltered rage on Izunia’s part. He stayed still, not letting a single thought reflect on his face. He’d given the Chancellor enough as it was.

“The intention had been to simply add an extra layer of persuasion. I was quite clear in my command to inflict a non-lethal wound.” He looked at Cor apologetically. The absolute audacity.

“Doesn’t much matter where the bullet hole ends up, it bleeds out all the same.” 

He took back the knife from the now motionless unit and replaced it in his coat, not even bothering to clean it off first. “Forgive me for assuming a practiced physician would be able to treat a simple bullet wound and not allow herself to die such an undignified death. All for nothing.” 

All for a child. 

“Unfortunate. I had so looked forward to our...little trip. The best laid plans, as they say. Ah well, ten years of boredom it is then.” With a quick snap of his fingers another tin man moved to action, and the front gate began to pull open. “It would seem neither of us has what the other wants. The young lady’s killer has been given justice. And as curious as I am to test the merits of your title, I am on a tight schedule. As your Prince ought to be!” Izunia gestured towards the opening made for Cor’s exit. “Our business has concluded, Marshal, do please be on your way. And remind your dear Noctis, the growing darkness waits for no man.”

Cor had a choice now. A: Tempt fate with a call for unnecessary but much desired revenge. His sword felt heavy at his side, as if quietly asking permission to taste the Chancellor’s blood. Was it worth the risk? Would it make the guilt or anger subside? He had no interest in pursuing the kid, and had only worked to help Noctis continue his quest. Everyone had a stake in ending the scourge, regardless of national identity.

Or B: He could walk away. Continue to guide Noctis. Protect that kid, Iris, Talcott, Cid, everyone still standing. Do as his King commanded and protect his people.

But there was something else. The answer to an unasked question hung in the air. Something he needed if he was going to ignore every screeching impulse in his veins and let the man who toyed with the lives of innocent children for his own sick purposes continue to breathe. 

“Indulge me, Chancellor.” He picked his words carefully. “Since it’s off the table now anyway, what exactly did you need with her?” What was so important, so vital, that it called for such a sacrifice?

Izunia chuckled. “She never told you? How interesting.” He casually strolled back up to Cor, staring down at him with a wicked glee. “Unfortunately it had all been kept in there.” He emphasized the last word with a poke to Cor’s forehead. “A now empty lockbox, lacking the valuables that had been entrusted to it.”

Cor was in a school, with bright lights, decorated walls, and high ceilings. Velvet curtains hung on the windows. The royal crest in full view. A teenage girl was crying over a swollen black eye, banging her fist on the table between them. ‘You keep saying that, I’m so smart! Everyone keeps saying that. I’m not! I can memorize whatever shit you put in front of me, I can regurgitate entire encyclopedias word for word, but that doesn’t mean I UNDERSTAND it! That doesn’t make someone SMART! I just. Remember. Everything!’’

Feeling the static begin to invade his mind once again, Cor left, carrying a heavier burden than the one he’d entered with. The gate closed behind him, barely one step outside the door. The lights flickered off, completely silent, all evidence of life inside those walls now gone. It was just him, and the demons that hid themselves in the dark of night. Easier to identify as a threat, easier to kill. A couple of imps dancing about, hardly worth unsheathing his sword for. Not the sort of bloodshed he now craved, but it would do nonetheless.

As he made his move to begin the slaughter, one last regret flashed through his mind. Another memory, another moment, free from the grip of a force that wanted him kept in the dark, forever stained in remorse after this night.

“If you hate me so much, then why even bother with this? Why have the dean’s office call me, specifically, by name, to come talk to you?”

“You’re...you’re the only other person. The only one who knows about...what it was like in there! You know? You’re the only one. You remember, right? That demon. You saw him too. You were there. You remember him, don’t you?”

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've read this far into this story, well dang, thank you! But also, this story is at a point now where I feel comfortable posting part 2 of this series. It's, silly enough, an AU of this AU. A super self indulgent bittersweet and comforting project that I wrote in between these chapters when I was getting way too depressed. And some of the things brought up in this chapter that stay a mystery in this 'timeline' eventually get an answer over there! Fun! As always, I'm at bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com and I am always up for getting messages with prompts or headcanons or just fandom screeching!


	17. Prompto Gets Some Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis has a demand. Cor buys a beer. A ghost sounds the alarm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A whole mess of time jumps happens in this chapter, just an FYI

“Did we...just get kicked off the case?” Noct frowned over Gladio's cell phone, on speaker in the middle of the table, now disconnected.

“Feel like we’re in one of those crime dramas where the chief decides the detective plays by his own rules too much and puts him on administrative leave.” Prompto drummed his fingers on the table, feeling his normal level of anxiety over the way Cor handled their call. He clearly had more context than they did, and why wouldn’t he? But after everything that happened and everything they’d all been through, Prompto had just assumed Cor would loop them in. Give them some indication of who this guy was, at the very least so they could look out for him.

Unless…

Prompto had asked him not to divulge any more about the past. And maybe that was the issue. Whoever this guy was, he was clearly tied up in it all, with the agent and Cor and Kidd and, no doubt, himself. Prompto felt a little sick at the idea that just revealing a name might have unraveled the whole thing.

“Yeah, if by administrative leave you mean the exact thing Noct was supposed to be doing this whole time.” Gladio said as he retrieved his phone.

“This was, however, time well spent. We cannot deny the necessity of this small diversion and the benefits we’ve all received thus.” Ignis pointed out.

“You were just happy to cook on a real stove for awhile.” Gladio smirked.

“And what of it?”

Prompto laughed alongside the others as they playfully sniped at each other, same as it had been since the day they left the city. But inside he was fretting up a storm. 

This wasn’t unexpected. This was completely inevitable. The war raging on around them wouldn’t be put on hold simply because they decided to play Full House for a month. Cor had made it quite clear their beach house vacation had a time limit on it, and once the buzzer went off it was back to the grind for the four of them.

Just the four of them.

And were it not for the living, breathing reason that this started in the first place, he’d be totally cool with that. Excited, even, to get going and see more of the incredible, terrifying star they lived on! But as it stood there was a child here now that was just becoming adjusted to all of them being around. Just becoming adjusted to life in general, it seemed. Leaving now felt cruel. He’d just started talking more, eating more, getting comfortable with voicing his wants and needs. He’d only just stopped referring to himself in the abstract, like an object. 

Prompto knew what it felt like to be left behind. The last thing he wanted was to do that to another kid.

But he would also be damned if he was going to bring a child, armed with a slingshot and immense confidence in his offensive abilities, along for the ride.

There really was no easy way out of this mess. 

And sure enough, as Iris shuffled the younger ones off to brush their teeth and get into bed, the conversation shifted from lighthearted ribbing to concrete plans for getting back on the road. The best route to get from that Hunter HQ, to this rumored royal tomb, and back around to supply up for the final boat ride to Altissia. Before now everything had felt more...loose. Like they were stumbling along through the countryside and accidentally getting Noctis the powers of Gods and Kings in between finding lightbulbs and feeding stray cats.

This felt different. There was a plan, with a time table, and a quiet understanding that this was it. Soon they’d be meeting with Luna, commanding the power of Leviathan, and then closer and closer to the heart of the enemy. The crystal. And then the end. Right?

For how certain everyone was acting about what came next, there were still so many unknowns floating around. Was Noct still marrying Luna, even without the treaty? How were they going to start trying to rebuild Insomnia? Was Noct planning to rule in the same way, the same manner as his Father? And if not, what resistance would he face? What sort of power balances would creep up? What about all the territory Niflheim had claimed and wrecked over the years, what happens there? 

What about that creepy science lab? What were they planning on doing with that?

There were so many questions, so many things to worry over, so much uncertainty that stretched out in front of the rest of their lives. It almost felt comforting, having such a direct plan going for at least this much. It wouldn’t be as fun, or carefree. But then again since when was saving the entire star from destruction supposed to be a laid back vacation? He had to trust that whatever came after Noct’s ascension as King, there’d still be time for at least some laughter and light. There’d still be time for King’s Knight and chocobo rides and comic books. There’d still be time for them.

And regardless there needed to be time for, what Prompto had recently accepted as, his little brother. Who knows what the truth was? (Well, Cor, probably) It didn’t matter. A month ago he walked into this cabin as an adopted only child, and now he was leaving having adopted a sibling somehow. There’d be time to figure it all out. Prompto believed that no matter what else happened, they’d still have the time for everything they needed.

He had to believe that. The alternative was not acceptable.

“One more full day then, just to make sure everyone is on the same page. We’ll be back before they know it on our way to Altissia.” Ignis was directing the plans while taking notes. Gladio was providing input where decisions were needed. Noct..looked tired. A different tired from his usual ‘I’m going to pass out in the worst possible place now’ tired. Prompto had to infer Noct was feeling the same way he did.

Probably worse, considering he was the one who had to come up with the answers to all the questions left sitting quietly around them. Prompto wanted to reassure him, remind him that no matter how hard the road ahead looked, he still had them. He still had an advisor, a shield, and a best friend, and that was never going to change.

“Noct.” Gladio said, pulling both of them out of their reveries. “You got anything to add?” It was a gentle question, far less demanding and impatient than Gladio’s normal go-to tone when it came to pushing Noct in the right direction. Were all of them feeling this way? This sadness that tomorrow marked the actual end to the longest pit stop ever made. 

“Yeah, one thing. And it’s important, too.” Noct said, looking suddenly incredibly serious. “We need to keep an eye out for more rare cactuar models.”

There was a silent pause from the group as Noct’s words finally set in, completely destroying the stoic mood that had gripped the table. Ignis, pen to paper, preparing to make note of his Prince’s command, was the first to crack. He loosened his grip on the pen enough for it to slip from his hand and fall to the table, leaving his hand free to cover his eyes under his glasses and simply explode into uncontrolled laughter. Gladio snorted at the sight, shoulders shaking before reluctantly being dragged into the same laughing fit Ignis had started. It created a landslide that sucked Noct and Prompto right in, until all four were red faced and in tears. 

Struggling for breath and wiping the tears from his face, Noct was the first to speak them back into reality. “But seriously, write it down. If we see any out there he doesn’t know about, I bet it’ll blow him away when we get back.”

Prompto couldn’t be sure if it was the laughing, the crying, or Noct’s genuine assertion that they keep the people here in mind when they’ll be so far away, but everything just felt good again. Reassuring. Hopeful. No matter how serious, dire, or terrifying the long road ahead looked, they were always going to find the time for this. Prompto knew Noct well enough to know he always would.

\---

The time, unfortunately, had gone by far too quickly. The month they’d spent at the cabin felt like a year compared to how fast it all seemed to rush past them now. Weeks felt like days, as before they knew it, Noct had every spirit weapon they could find, and plenty enough gil in their pockets to last them at least until Gralea. (At which point if they needed cash, they’d have to figure out the local currency when they got there anyway).

Everything was in place. Everything was ready. It was time to go, no looking back. Hell, everyone even made sure to be there to see them off. Cid, Monica, Dustin, even Cor was back. It all felt so much more real than it ever had before this moment. While Ignis and Cid managed the tricky task of loading the Regalia onto a boat, Prompto made a point to spend some time with Kidd. (Gods he was going to forever regret that name sticking) He wanted to check in, see how he handled their time away, and reassure him that no matter what, they were going to come back.

They took some time alone, up on the lighthouse. He showed Kidd photos of where they went, what they’d been doing since they left. Kidd studied each photo intently, taking in the scenery and creatures on the screen. Asking questions here and there. He’d made so much progress since that first day. Gods if there wasn’t so much more work left to do, but what he had achieved so far was astounding. 

They reached the end of the camera roll, and Prompto sighed in resignation for the conversation that had to happen now.

“So...we have to leave again.” He started.

Kidd nodded. “I know. Miss Iris told us.”

“But this time, it’s gonna be for longer. A lot longer... We don't know how long.” He said, seeing the question being asked on Kidd’s expression.

“Oh.” He said.

“But we’re coming back!” Prompto rushed to assure him. “It might be awhile, but we’re coming back. And I’ll take a bunch of pictures again, so you can see everything we saw! And you’ll be here. You’ll be safe, okay? With Talcott and Iris.”

“I know.” He nodded again. “Cor said I was safe.”

“He did?” Prompto asked. He hadn’t had a moment to speak a single word since they got back. Cor’s presence was surprising, but very much welcome all the same.

“He said,” Kidd scrunched up his face and lowered his voice, “That man won’t hurt you. You’re safe now.”

“That...was a spot on impersonation.” Prompto said, barely suppressing a laugh. He let a few moments pass by with only the distant sound of waves crashing filling the quiet.

Kidd sighed. “I need a new mission.”

“Woah, hold on, I thought we were past this kinda stuff…” Prompto said, suddenly very concerned.

Kidd shook his head. “Noctis is leaving, so I can’t protect him. I need a new mission.”

Prompto was about to object before realizing what Kidd was actually asking for: a purpose. Something to do, to maintain the urge to go forward. To feel like waking up every day was a challenge worth facing instead of dreading. Not unlike the one gifted to him from Lunafreya ten years ago.

Yeah, he could do this.

“Alright, here’s your new mission: I want you...to figure out what happiness is. Really find that feeling you got when you pet that chocobo or you get a hug from Talcott. And then I want you to figure out everything that makes you feel that way. Write it all down. Ask Talcott or Iris for help if you need to, they can show you how to write.”

“I can write my name.” Kidd said, mimicking the movements of writing the word ‘Kidd’ in the air. “Miss Iris taught me.”

Ah, so this really was completely 100% his name now. Fantastic.

“I think my name makes me happy.” Kidd said.

“Wait really?” Prompto almost laughed in relief.

He nodded. “Thank you.”

“Heh, you’re welcome? Not sure what you’re thanking me for, bud.” 

“Miss Iris said you should say thank you, when someone gives you something. Thank you for giving me the mission. And the name.”

Oh shit. Oh fuck. Here it comes. Prompto could not hold it back, he was going to fucking cry right here, right now, because a little kid said thank you to him. He squeezed his ‘brother from probably another mother’ into a close hug, giving him a pat on the back.

“Man, Kidd, you’re gonna be fine. You’re gonna be great ok? And when we come back you have to share that list with me, and we’ll find other stuff you can put on it. Sound good?”

Kidd nodded. “Can this be on the list?” 

Prompto was going to break down completely if this kid didn’t stop being so freaking adorable.

“Yeah, buddy. It absolutely can.”

And with that, the two were called back down to reality as well as the dock. The time had finally come to set sail. Prompto was completely ready and not ready at all. Every moment closer to stepping aboard was a mix of excitement and sorrow. It didn’t help that Cor had to have a big cry fest speech about how he couldn’t save Noct’s Dad. And then Cid had to hop in with his old man wisdom and call them Noct’s brothers (like he didn’t already know that). Emotions were so high, and everything so frantic, that Prompto almost forgot the one thing he wanted to make sure he did before they left: just one big group shot.

It took way longer to get everyone situated and in place than it should have, but eventually they were all crowded together, little ones in front, the old men scowling slightly less than usual in the back.

“Alright everyone, smile!” Prompto commanded as he readied the timer. “And I mean everyone!” He yelped as he slid down into place, kneeling by Noct behind the kids. 

1, 2, 3, flash, and it was done. The last thing on the checklist. It was time to go. Prompto gave Kidd a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder before standing to collect his camera, say the final goodbyes, and join the others on board.

At least it was promising to be a quiet journey across the sea. Smooth sailing, bright blue skies, and plenty enough time to take in the moment and get ready for whatever laid ahead of them.

\---

Prompto had plenty enough time. In fact, he had more than enough. He had too much time.

In between the whole falling in and out of consciousness thing, Prompto had all the time he could possibly hope for to do nothing but think. There was really nothing else you could do to pass the time chained to a giant metal cross, beat half to death, and certain the other half was on it’s way at any moment. And you know, that was kinda nice, in a very fucked up way.

Between almost dying in the snow, almost dying in a military installation, almost dying at the hands of his creepy Dad, almost dying while being chased by his creepy Dad now in metal worm form, and then almost dying in the snow again, it was a little nice to be able to stop and think about everything. It would’ve been nicer if it was on his own terms but you don’t always get what you want.

Hanging around up there, he finally found a moment to reflect on the entire disturbing, fucked up, insidious truth. It’s funny, if he hadn’t been there, read those things, seen those things, heard all those awful things, he wouldn’t have believed it. If Cor had told him all this, that night on the porch, he would’ve thought the man was already drunk. Or messing with him. It was, in short, too fucking much dude!

He was a clone. A freaking CLONE! Of like, the grossest looking dude Prompto had ever seen. Was he going to look like that when he got old? Gods he hoped not. He hoped Besithia just drank too much evil villain juice and that’s what made him so nasty.

And Kidd. Freaking hell. That poor kid. All of his shit made sense now. Everything they put those kids through so at the end of all that misery they became...that. How close had Prompto come to having that same fate? What coin flip, dealt hand, or dice roll meant that he got out while so many others exactly like him suffered and died, with no other hope or happiness in front of them? Whatever it was, he was grateful at the very least that Kidd won that jackpot too.

He replayed what he could remember now, between everything Cor had delicately revealed, the conversation they’d read on that communications device, and all the reports he’d found scattered around the facility. How they all connected together.

One delightful little connection he managed to make was between the angry email exchange about some Lucian spy absconding with a subject (hey that’s me!) and Besithia’s freaking daughter. Oh, that one was great. No wonder she was so angry all the time. If he had to live with that man ever, at all, he’d be an angry jerk too. But also that comment she’d made. How it was funny she had Kidd call her Mom. Yeah, it was kinda morbidly funny now. Since genetically speaking, as she said, Kidd was technically her dad. Prompto was technically her dad.

The more he thought about it, the funnier and less real it felt.

That security cam footage was pretty fucking funny too. The tape he’d found sitting on a console had a note stuck to it that just said “it happened AGAIN”. It took a minute but he’d realized what he was seeing soon enough: it was the moment the agent lady got Kidd out of there. It was great, seeing all those people in coats crowded around a kid strapped to a metal table. Okay that part was not great. But then noticing her backing off from the group, nonchalantly walking over to the far wall and pulling the fire alarm? Brilliant. And then coming back out of hiding after all the not-strapped-to-a-table people had evacuated, wrapping him in a discarded doctor’s coat, and finally looking straight into the camera and flipping the bird before leaving? Hilarious. 

Was he losing blood? He was pretty sure he was losing blood. He’d lost all feeling in his left arm a long time ago. That probably wasn’t a very good thing.

He felt dizzy.

When they got back to Cape Caem, he was going to make Cor buy him the beer he owed the agent lady. Even though he hated beer. It was the principle of the matter. And then he was going to make the Marshal tell him every detail of how he managed to sneak a baby and a six year old over the border in the middle of an active war. It was probably a funny story.

Oh but first he was going to hug Kidd. He was going to hug him and tell him everything was okay forever now because they were brothers, for realsies as far as he was concerned, and he would take care of him and nothing bad was going to happen ever. Ever. Maybe they’d get a dog. That would be fun.

Prompto was now completely sure he was still losing blood. That sucked.

He hoped Noct would get here soon. He hoped Noct was worried about him. Not that he wanted Noct to worry or anything, he didn’t want his friend to feel bad, but it would be a little nice. Knowing his absence was felt. That he meant enough to people to put a sense of urgency into reuniting with him. That he wasn’t an annoying drain on everyone around him.

Oh come on, he just had that nice little self discovery session. He just found his damn confidence and it was for real and genuine this time! Come on, man. Don’t get all self deprecating ‘oh no I am the worst everyone secretly hates me’ now!

Man, he’d have to tell them, wouldn’t he? It’d be kinda shitty to hide it now, after everything. Would it really be such a leap from ‘I was an escaped test subject from Niflheim’ to ‘I was an escaped subject meant to become a demon infused robotic super soldier’? Probably not? Maybe.

He could tell he was slipping away again. It was a little easier for making time go by but it was also inconvenient not knowing if he was going to wake up each time it happened. He hoped Noct would show up soon, and with plenty of potions. He was going to need at least one. At least.

\---

Finally returning to Cape Caem, after everything, was so bittersweet. Explaining to everyone there what happened, why Noct wasn’t with them, was too much to bear. So Ignis did it. It was great, because he didn’t have to see the absolute heartbreak on everyone’s faces while he tried to explain that the great crystal of power literally ate Noctis. And no, they didn’t know when he would be back. And the darkness was still coming, oh man was it coming, it was going to get so much worse, and they needed to start getting ready right freaking now.

There was no time to stop and breathe and take the whole thing in. They needed to act. The loss of sun would mean a quickly dwindling food supply. It would mean more demons in more places all over the place. The Lestallum power plant would need to be in the best possible shape of its entire existence.

Luckily, Iris had learned how to can and preserve food while they were gone, a byproduct of the plentiful harvest her vegetable garden produced. Monica was giving the kids self defense lessons, ‘just like a real crownsguard’. Cid wasted no time connecting with Cindy and making sure every vehicle they could get their hands on was in the best possible working order, particularly the headlights.

And as for the Marshal, in Lestallum, he bought Prompto that beer. And it sucked. But he drank it anyway. And he told Prompto the story of how he met a smartass little girl who snuck a freaking baby through a poorly patched hole in the wall. And even though Cor had no idea what he was doing and was in completely over his head, he’d managed to sneak them on a train across the border.

It was pretty funny seeing the Marshal laugh at himself like that. But then Prompto had to get all somber and asked, ‘You think she ever thought about me?’ and Cor had very seriously replied, ‘I know for a fact she did.’ And then he got really weepy and started rambling about cigarettes and politicians and how he’d had a choice and made the wrong one. It was a bizarrely vulnerable moment and for once Prompto was glad to be on the other side of the emotional breakdown.

In the safety of a well lit Leville hotel room, Kidd shared his list with him. It included the things they already knew, like ice cream, and mac and cheese, chocobos, trucks, his stuffed chocobo Goat, his name, the shirt with a cat face on it, and weaved throughout the list were the names of everyone he’d met so far. New on the list though was hot chocolate, the truck’s engine, comic books, being in the water, doing good with his slingshot, and the dog who visited the property one day.

But he had also started a list of things that made him sad. He was sad that Ignis got hurt and couldn’t cook the same as before. He was sad Noctis didn’t come back. He was sad that Prompto had to go back to the base. Once Cid had started teaching him and Talcott how a truck engine worked, and he talked about a truck he used to have a long time ago that he’d loved, but there was an accident and the truck was wrecked completely along with Cid’s hip. That story had made Kidd incredibly sad.

On both of those lists he’d written ‘Mom’.

Prompto reassured him that knowing when you were sad was just as important as knowing when you were happy. He was proud that he’d taken the initiative to make a new list. 

He told Kidd that things were going to get rough, dangerous, that there would be a lot of fighting in the future. A lot of darkness. But they had to stay strong, because one day Noctis would come back and they both had to continue their mission to protect him. Everyone just needed to stick together, and one day the sun would rise again, and they’d have all the time they needed to live their own lives in their own way. And Kidd simply smiled and nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com


	18. The Kid Gets a Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talcott steers clear. Cindy lights up. The King returns.

“Huh.” Kidd said to himself, noticing that for the very first time since it was created, the beacon was lit up. It was an incredibly bright spotlight that shone from the roof of the Hammerhead gas station, pointing straight up at the night sky. It took an unconscionable amount of power to run it, thus why it had never been turned on before now. The beacon was for absolutely dire emergencies only, a sort of ‘all hands on deck’ signal to everyone in the know. 

He collapsed his fishing rod to sling over his shoulder, and grabbed the meager bag of trout he’d managed to catch in the last two hours, sprinting back to the chocobo that brought him there. He practically hopped onto her, giving her a gentle pat on the neck.

“Alright girl, you know the drill. Let’s go!” Between her black feathers and his dark clothing, the two managed to travel the distance between Hammerhead and the river in general safety, avoiding detection from the animals that still managed to roam about. Not to mention the odd jerk here and there who took advantage of the darkness to prey on others. And even if they were spotted, there weren’t many living creatures who could outrun his Goat. She was nimble, and smart enough to know when a demon was tracking them.

She was, in Kidd’s completely unbiased opinion, the best damn chocobo who ever lived. And she only trusted him.

As the beacon grew closer into sight, Kidd started to feel a looming anxiety building up. It was generally understood that there would be one and only one nice reason why that light would be shining. And by now, after so many years, it felt so impossible that it would finally be happening. It gave him the creeping sense that something absolutely terrible had actually happened. Better or worse, he’d know soon enough.

As they finished their approach to the station, Kidd could see the familiar sight of Talcott giving his truck a proper check up. He never took it out without ensuring everything was in perfect working order. Failure to do so could mean being stranded in a pit of darkness, a free lunch to any demon who happened by. He and Kidd made a point to always be thorough and treat that truck like every life on this star depended on it, and they always came back in one piece. That old truck ran like it was brand new. They had learned from the best, after all. 

Goat slowed her pace as they hit the concrete parking lot, diverting from the usual post where she rested to nudge a hello to Talcott. Kidd gave her another pat, simply glad they made it back quickly, and dismounted.

“What’s the news?” He asked the older boy, currently occupied with a chocobo nuzzling his face.

Okay so maybe she trusted two people.

“You’re getting grease on your beak, girl. Prompto just got the word. It’s finally time.” Talcott replied, looking a bit teary eyed.

“No shit.” Kidd was in genuine disbelief. It had been so damn long, he’d convinced himself it was never happening. But Talcott had never been one to lie to anyone, least of all him. “Seriously?” 

“Seriously.” Talcott responded, closing the truck’s hood and wiping his face with a cloth. “From the word of Shiva herself. He should be arriving into Galdin Quay shortly. And we-” He crossed his arms and leaned against the driver’s side door, “are the official royal welcome committee.” He smiled a wide, toothy smile. Talcott’s excitement was always something that brightened even the darkest moments, and this time was no exception.

“Oh, we are?” Kidd asked playfully.

“Yeah, hoping to catch him before he tries to make the journey by foot. So ditch the fish and grab your guns, before a tonberry finds him first.” Talcott gave him a gentle push towards the diner before straightening his hat and climbing into the driver’s seat.

Kidd did not have to be told twice. If Talcott was driving that far into that thick of a demon nest, he needed Kidd to have his back. And there was nowhere else he’d rather be. He practically slid into the dining area, plopping the bag of fresh fish (Gods what a rarity it was to find them these days) on the counter and vaulting over it to grab his personal armory stashed behind it.

“As much as I appreciate the delivery, the ice box’s motor still ain’t fixed. These guys won’t keep long.” Takka said, reaching over the crouched teenager to grab the bag.

“Better get cooking then!” Kidd slung his shotgun over his shoulder and grabbed his sniper rifle too for good measure. He did a quick inventory of ammunition and decided to leave the slingshot behind. Rocks were way more plentiful at the river than in the truckr. “And put your heart into it. I heard a rumor you’ll be serving a King tonight.” 

Just saying it sent a thrill through him, making him bubble with energy.

“Damnit, shit, why didn’t I check this BEFORE NOW?!” And that was his brother, Prompto, storming in from the back room while struggling with the buttons on his crownsguard uniform. “Iggy’s gonna murder me, these are totally going to fall off. Kidd, where’s the sewing kit? We still have one right?” He looked around desperately.

Kidd shrugged his shoulders before vaulting back over the counter awkwardly. Not as much momentum that time.

“You kids know you can just walk around the counter, right? And hey, why are we sending two teenagers into the thick of danger while the three crownsguard sit patiently here in relative safety?” Takka asked, getting his apron tied on.

“Cause these boys ain’t nothin if they ain’t dramatic as all get out.” Came the regional drawl of Miss Cindy, who just made it back down from the roof. “Gave her all we got, but I had to switch it back off. Hopefully everyone got the message.”

“Wait, are we relying on Ignis being able to see that signal?” Kidd asked, the logistics of such a thing just now dawning on him.

“Nah, we’re relying on Paw Paw seeing it and making those fellas high tail both their butts back over here. Now you two troublemakers get going, it ain't polite to keep a King waitin’.” Cindy gave a smile and a tip of her hat. “Alright Takka, now that that’s done, lemme take a look at that ice box…”

“Hey wait wait, come here.” Prompto said, finally finished worrying over the fancy digs he hadn’t touched in way too long and waved Kidd back over.

“Talc’s waiting, what’s up?” He said, impatiently wanting to sprint to the truck, but nonetheless not wanting to upset his brother.

Prompto closed the distance, clutching his hands on Kidd’s shoulders, and took a deep breath.

“Noct is going to freak out and think he went back in time!” Prompto laughed, before removing one hand to wipe at his eyes. He squeezed a bit harder with the other and regained his composure. “You two stay safe, don’t do anything stupid.”

“Right, we won’t do anything you wouldn’t do.” Kidd smirked sarcastically, giving a reassuring pat to Prompto’s arm before bolting out to the parking lot.

“I LITERALLY just said NOTHING! STUPID!” Prompto yelled back.

Kidd grabbed on to the back of the truck and hopped into the bed, sliding in until his back was up against the cabin. The canopy overhead was perfectly situated to give him cover. He braced the soles of his boots against the metal rods bolted into the bed that held the canopy up. After getting everything just how he liked it, he gave three taps to the glass window separating him from the cabin. Their little signal for ‘ready to roll’.

But instead of hitting the gas, Talcott unlocked and opened the window. Kidd turned his head to see what the hold up was. 

“You’re alright back there? We can probably make room for three inside…” Talcott looked strangely solemn, a scene humorously framed by his little cactuar toys on the dashboard.

“I’ve got a better angle for flyers back here, and you know their screeching throws off your focus. I got your back Talc, same as ever.”

“Yeah but this time isn’t the same as ever…” Talcott frowned back, looking worried.

“Come on man, you drive like hell and I’ll send those demons back to it. Nothing stops this truck.” Kidd lifted his fist up to the window. Talcott hesitated a moment before knocking his fist against it.

“Alright. If it’s too much just scream. I’ll steer with one hand and pull you through the window with the other.” Talcott smirked before closing the glass again. The thought of being dragged through that opening was far more worrying than anything lurking out there.

The truck started to move and Kidd hunkered down, ready to blast off anything that thought it could jump aboard. The further they drove from the safety of Hammerhead, the bigger and more prevalent the apparitions became. But Kidd felt no fear sitting in the open with the stars whizzing past above them. 

Talcott was a damn good driver. His reflexes were a thing of beauty, paired with his ability to know exactly how fast and far he could push the truck’s engine, any demon who thought it could get the jump on them had another thing coming.

And if one happened to succeed…

Kidd heard the distinct thunk and tapping noise of something attaching itself to the truck’s frame, making its way up to the bed. And that was where he came in. He got his shotgun ready, steadying himself with his elbows on his knees, aiming at the direction of the sound. An alberich, giggling like a moron thinking it outmaneuvered the two of them. 

“Not this time…” Kidd whispered, pulling the trigger and blowing its ugly little head back out onto the road. He knew Talcott got nervous whenever he had to pull off a shot. Which is why he always knocked twice on the window after each one. A reassuring little gesture that said ‘I’m ok, keep your cool’. 

Things were picking up. He could see trailing behind them in the dirt the masses of gelatins, imps, and hobgoblins. Child’s play. Another tapping, but this time from Talcott. Twice on the glass, his signal for ‘hold on for your life’. Kidd braced himself again and grabbed onto the metal poles as the truck pulled a turn that should have left them crashed on their side. Not with Talcott at the wheel. The truck was back on four wheels and off to their side was the offending roadblock trailing into the distance: a red giant. 

Two taps from Kidd, ‘I’m still here’. He heard a creaking sound from above, a hitchhiker apparently latched on to the roof during their little stunt. Kidd got the gun back up and readied for whatever was about to drop back down. With a slam that rocked the whole vehicle a damn bussemand was standing mere feet from Kidd’s position.

“Shit,” he whispered, taking aim for the eye and letting loose. Soon it was bleeding, blinded, and very pissed off. He figured he could waste an entire box of ammo into this thing before it would finally be done for. Whether intentional or not, Kidd didn’t know, but Talcott made another sharp turn, slamming the bussemand into the side and almost straight over the edge. Kidd took the opportunity, grabbing the far pole to steady himself before kicking the demon right in the chest, giving that little extra push to knock it out onto the ground. Satisfied that it wasn’t hanging onto a tire or something, he made his way back to sitting by the window, took a deep breath, and tapped twice. ‘Still alive, somehow’.

A blessedly uneventful few minutes passed by, allowing Kidd to catch his breath. He snapped a rubber tie from his wrist and pulled his hair back into a bun. It was getting too sweaty to sit comfortably on his neck. 

It was incredible how the air felt thick with the scourge way out here. The feeling always gave him the creeps. It itched at something in the back of his oldest memories, from a time when he lived surrounded by the stuff, knowing one day he would simply exist within and throughout it, trapped forever in a metal coffin.

His wrist began to ache. Was his grip too tight? It was burning. It was getting harder to breathe. His head felt like it was underwater, swimming in a miasma of ichor. The same stuff of nightmares he was fated for.

Something wasn’t right.

This Unit felt scared. This Unit didn’t want to go back. This Unit didn’t have a choice. The scenery speeding by blurred into cold metal and fluorescent lights, the stars in the sky formed into cruel and uncaring eyes. They stared down at him in disapproval, anger, disgust.

“There’s something wrong with this one.” A voice echoed to his left.

“This is a perfect example of a specimen rejecting the treatment. As you’ll soon observe for yourselves, the issue..” Another voice on his right, drowned out by his own shallow breaths.

This Unit couldn’t move. This Unit was trapped. They were on him, right there on top of him, holding him down, sharp tools ready to gouge at every piece of him until they were satisfied he would no longer be a concern. 

This Unit closed his eyes tight, hoping that if any mercy existed in these humans they would make a quick job of it. This Unit braced for the slicing and stabbing he knew was coming.

Instead he felt something warm on his cheek. This Unit was too scared to open his eyes. The warmth spread to his other side, wiping away tears he didn’t know he had. 

“Don’t be scared.” A soft voice commanded. “No matter what happens, stay near me, and don’t be scared.”

Kidd opened his eyes. Staring back at him was a face long gone, only existing on the plastic card he kept in his pocket.

A woman he called Mom, not knowing what that word meant back then. But in the incredibly short time they’d been together, she’d been all that and more. He felt a calmness wash over him, the walls bled back into rocks and trees, the stars glittered gently above, and as her face faded away once again, Kidd got a perfect view of the offending creature who was delighting in his misery.

A mindflayer. Demons that crept into your brain and showed you everything that terrified you, feeding off of that fear. Kidd had never seen one with his own eyes before, but there was no mistaking what was hovering close had to be one.

Kidd steeled every ounce of courage he had left in his trembling hands, grabbed the gun closest to him, and aimed. 

The damn thing was still trying. It was still picking apart the nightmares living in his head, casually throwing them in his face like a deck of cards, one right after the other. Dead friends, eternal darkness all alone, the searing pain of needles, blades, and thick ichor pumping into his veins, melting him into nothing.

He wasn’t scared, though. How could he be? His best friend was at his back, and when they were together like this, they were unstoppable.

He fired. Once, twice, its creepy tentacle mouth flailed about, desperately trying to hang on to anything resembling fear. Kidd refused to give it what it wanted, and with one final shot it lost its grip entirely and was gone with the road stretching out behind them. 

He dropped his gun in his lap, feeling his whole body tremble. Having to remember those events was one thing, being forced to feel like he was actually there was something else entirely. He focused on his breathing to steady himself, and hadn’t realized he’d forgotten to tap the glass until it slid open behind his head, startling him back to reality.

“I’m good! I’m good!” Kidd yelped.

“What the hell happened, it got so cold in here.” Talcott was also trembling, seemingly it was all he could do to grip the steering wheel and keep moving forward.

“Mindflayer. I got it. How much longer?” Kidd asked, for once faltering in his resolve.

“Just a few more minutes before we reach the...hang on, no way. No way, Kidd, this is it!” Talcott yelled, gunning the truck forward a little bit more before skidding to a stop.

Kid felt his heart hammering against his chest. He could hear their exchange of voices outside the canopy. He wondered if Noct would even remember him. It’d been so long, and Kidd’s existence was such a blip on the man’s life. 

“Talcott? No way!”

Kidd steeled his nerves, ready to greet the man he’d been waiting ten long years to see. 

“Welcome back, your majesty.” Talcott said as Kidd peaked out from the canopy wall, leaning out over the side of the truck.

“Your chariot awaits!” He yelled, smiling way bigger and harder than he meant to. Noctis took a step back, shock and confusion painting his face. The man looked so different from the one he knew from his brief memories of fishing and board games. But that messy black hair and those sharp eyes were unmistakably Noct.

“Promp- wait…no?” Kidd had predicted it would go like this, and already had his next words prepared long ago.

“I get that a lot! But hey, would it help jog your memory if I stuck a handful of grass in my mouth?” Kidd asked, playing at his brother’s favorite story of his childish shenanigans. 

“Kidd?! Youre...What is going on..?” Noct looked so lost.

“I can explain on the way, you should hop in before those fireballs get any closer!” Talcott gestured towards the passenger door. Kidd took his place back under the canopy, getting his sniper rifle ready in case those fireballs did get a little too brave. The truck shifted back into drive, and Kidd braced for the perilous journey back to Hammerhead, ready to finally continue the mission he started ten years ago.

\---

“What’s the first thing you want to do when the sun comes back up?” Talcott asked.

When, not if. It was real now, it wasn’t some make believe wishful thinking thought experiment anymore. When. And soon.

Kidd had to consider the answer. He’d lived in the darkness far longer than he’d ever know the sun’s light. He wasn’t sure where to even start living once the waking nightmare finally ended.

“I want to go swimming.” He finally said, remembering that day at Cape Caem, before his brother and the other two returned with the bad news. How he and Talcott had just spent the entire afternoon learning to swim, splashing around, picking up pretty rocks and shells from the sand, listening to Cid and Cor laugh and reminisce on the rocks. “No more demon sea monsters, plus I bet the water will warm up too. Yeah, I wanna go swim.”

Talcott smiled, probably also remembering that afternoon together. “Right, you never got to see Galdin Quay in the day, did you? It was gorgeous. I bet it will be again. We should go there first. Just go swim in the ocean.”

Kidd leaned back against the cold stone wall on the outskirts of the Citadel. The longer they waited, the quieter it had become. Noct, Cor, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto were undoubtedly cutting down everything that stood between them and the throne. Kidd wanted to go too, he knew he could help. But Prompto and, well, the King told him to stay here where it was safe. It was the safest this place had been in a decade.

When Talcott said he needed to deliver something to Noctis from Cid, Kidd thought he was nuts. Even more so when he learned it was some sort of key. But if Talc was going, then Kidd was going too. And thus here they were, by themselves, staring impatiently up at the sky, sharing a bottle of off brand soda they’d snatched from the makeshift crownsguard HQ.

“What about you, Talc? What do you want to do once the sun comes back up?” Kidd asked. Talcott had a dreamy, far away look on his face.

“It’s...kinda dumb.”

“I doubt that.”

“Ok, so...Cid told me about these motorcycles he used to ride, back when he was young? Can’t find any in decent enough shape these days, and even if I could it hasn’t been the safest way to travel. But I want to get out there and find one, fix it up, and just...ride around. See everything. The tombs, the ruins, all the stuff the guys told us about, and more! I want to travel all over Lucis and record everything I can. Who knows what mysteries still exist out there? I could write books about it, maybe...Why are you looking at me like that?” Talcott stopped, a half smile splayed across his face.

“Like what?” Kidd asked, playing dumb.

“I know, I know, it’s a stupid idea…” Talcott took off his hat and rubbed his hand through his short hair.

“What? No way. It’s a great idea, dude. You just get so cute when you’re rambling on about history and all that nerd stuff.”

The two boys laughed together, bumping their shoulders close.

“Think there’ll be room for two on that bike?” Kidd asked, feeling like he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if the answer was no.

“I’m going to make sure there is.” Talcott said with a gentle smile. “You know, if you actually wanted to join the nerd stuff history hunt.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything.” Kidd reached for the soda bottle before something unusual caught his eye.

The sky was changing, ever so subtly. Kidd tapped Talcott on the arm, gesturing towards the skyline in front of them.

The two jumped to their feet, taking a few cautious steps away from the crumbled building and out into the open. It was happening, the sun was actually rising.

They did it. Whatever ‘it’ was, they did it.

Kidd reached his left hand out to take Talcott’s right, their fingers intertwined and squeezed tight. There it was, ever so slowly, peeking out from the horizon. That big ball of warmth and light and life giving rays of fire. They stood there together, silently frozen at the sight, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop and something to force it back down and out of their reach again.

But it didn’t. The sun kept rising, and light poured down onto the street, glinting off broken shards of glass, lighting up the darkest corners surrounding them, and falling gently onto their faces. 

It was the most beautiful moment in Kidd’s entire life. The sun’s light kissed warmth into the bare skin on his arms and neck, filling him with a new kind of bubbling excitement he’d never felt before. Without thinking, he let out a loud whooping sound. Just screaming out of joy every fear and anxiety from the last decade bursting out and flying far, far away from him. Talcott joined in, caught up in the moment of it all, hugging, crying, laughing, screaming in pure delight.

All around them were the sounds of celebrating. It could’ve been the echoes of their own unadulterated joy, it could’ve been the sounds of hundreds of people far away cheering in relief and exaltation. He’d never felt so at one with everything around him, so lost in the heightened reality that still felt like a dream.

The sun was up. He was here to see it, holding his closest friend tight in his arms.They had their plans. And they had the time. They finally knew what was coming next. Kidd was ready, finally, for the two of them to start their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several months ago I had the thought, "MT!Prompto is a fantastic trope, but what if we got an MT!Prompto alongside regular Prompto? How would he react to that?" And my first idea was to have one the exact same age as him, for the mindfuck. But then I wanted to write something cute. I knew how it would start and end, and then it got so much bigger than I originally planned as I merged it with a different abandoned idea (the agent) that I still really wanted to try, and THEN it somehow turned into a musing on how family can wreck you up and heal you just as well, and how expectations that are put on us can break us even in small, quiet ways.
> 
> I left the ending to this ambiguous, since the game plot action is off screen. I leave it up to you, dear reader, to decide which ending befalls our heroes. But I said previously in the Part 2 AU thing, I wanted to give everyone a happy ending and I meant it. That story may get dicey at times but I'm promising up front, everyone here gets their happy ending over there :3
> 
> As always I am bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com, but also I have recently gotten back on my old twitter account, @pandalots. Come talk to me! And a huge thank you to everyone who read, commented, subscribed, kudo's, like. I am blown away. Thank you all so much, I'm so glad you enjoyed this :')


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